Unspoken Words
by lionetspirit
Summary: When Mint catches onto Ryou's jealousy at Ichigo and Keiichiro's friendship, she decides to mess with him and Ichigo, but instead the two team up against Mint! The pair are slowly forced to deal with their growing feelings. Gets physical at later chapters
1. A little misunderstanding

**Unspoken Words**

Masaya moves to England and Ichigo finds comfort in her growing friendship with Keiichiro. The mews misunderstand and try to set them up while Ryou's friendship with Keiichiro gets a little cold. Meanwhile Keiichiro tries to expose their unrealized feelings for each other. Will the two stubborn cats finally speak all the words left unspoken between them?

An early warning for you readers…this does get a bit physical in later chapters. Rating may go up.

Also, please don't take any offense to the diction used here such as: 'Jesus,' 'Oh my God,' and the like. I mean no disrespect. I tend to use these phrases so that I can avoid coarser words.

**Chapter 1: A Little Misunderstanding**

Her cheek lay flat against the cold surface of the kitchen table as strands of strawberry colored hair were sprawled loosely over her face hiding her empty expression. She mildly heard distant voices calling, but ignored them.

"Geez Ichigo, are you listening?" Mint stood beside the redhead with her arms crossed.

"Ichigo," the green-haired girl took a step forward from the crowded doorway as she spoke. "We're all very worried about you." Ichigo sat motionless in her position, only grunting slightly to acknowledge the speakers.

"Ichigo-neesan. Lettuce-neesan is right. We don't like seeing you sad na no da." The monkey girl pushed her way through the three girls and climbed up behind Ichigo's chair. She was just about to brush away the loose fallen hair from Ichigo's face.

"Stop it Pudding. Let's just leave her alone. She obviously needs to sort out her own thoughts." Zakuro's tone was cold but she felt more concern than she led others to believe. The wolf girl motioned silently for them to leave and held the kitchen door open as Mint, Lettuce and Pudding each made their way out the door. But before the famous idol left, she turned around briefly to speak. "I'm sorry Ichigo, but even you must know that no amount of sulking will change the fact that he left."

Of course, Ichigo knew this was true but it wasn't as if she was choosing to feel miserable about it. She just did. What happened to all those unfulfilled promises? Masaya was her one and only true love, how could things have ended so abruptly when they were supposed to be together forever?

Her head was still glued to the table as question after question filled her exhausted mind. "God, it's already been three weeks!" she screamed, suddenly very angry with herself. Masaya was gone and she was still here, stuck in her Masaya-less life, but she just couldn't get over it.

"Momomiya-san?" Keiichiro had slipped in unnoticed, or rather, Ichigo had failed to hear the sounds of the kitchen door opening. "What's been three weeks?"

She sighed. It wasn't really anyone's business, but the Mews already knew. What difference did it make if one more person knew of the pathetic-ness that was Ichigo? "Since Masaya moved to England."

"Pardon?" Keiichiro's eyes grew wide with astonishment. He had known something had been bothering the girl lately, but he never thought it could be this. Seeing the pained expression of Ichigo however, he cleared his throat. "I'm very sorry Momomiya-san. I never would have imagined." Yeah, well neither would she have.

"I just – " Ichigo finally brought herself to speak about it, having been a walking zombie for the entire time she kept it bottled in. "I know it wasn't his choice, but…why? Why did this have to happen?"

Keiichiro pulled a seat beside the distressed girl whose face must have gone numb by now. "Wasn't his choice?"

"His parents were moving for work. Something about a big opportunity for the company in London." She finally peeled her numb cheek from the tabletop and lifted her head. Her voice was impatient. She wasn't quite sure why she was talking to Akasaka-san about this or what good would come of talking about it at all.

"Ahh" he said calmly. "So you can't be angry at him, as it wasn't his decision."

The redhead dropped her forehead against the tabletop and groaned, possibly from the physical pain. "That's why I'm so mad! He leaves after everything we've been through and I can't even blame him for leaving. Do you have any idea how much easier it would be if I could actually yell at him?"

"What exactly are you angry about?" He looked at her, puzzled. "It won't do to be angry over nothing when the circumstances can't be helped." Maybe to him it seemed that simple, but it wasn't at all that simple to Ichigo, who had just lost the love of her life.

Agitated, she lifted her head from the table and stared at him. "I just _told _you. I'm angry about the situation. It just isn't fair." But after saying it out loud finally, it did seem just a tad bit silly. She brought her head back down against the table, embarassed by her own sudden outburst.

"So you're angry at fate? Fate has drawn you apart. Perhaps it was never meant to be." Keiichiro continued calmly, not the least bit unnerved by the change in tone directed at him.

"Fate?!" she turned around to once again make eye contact with the brunet. By this time, her head was spinning from the constant motion. Groaning, she held her head in both hands for a brief moment, before speaking. "If anything, we were fated to be together. You can't possibly think it's fate pulling us apart, after we proved our love during the Dark Blue crisis."

"Fate is often unexpected and it can't be changed." He said simply. He looked at her troubled expression as she sorted her thoughts. She knew the situation couldn't be changed and it wasn't really the sole reason she was angry as she claimed it to be. The redhead was agitated by her own weakness, by her inability to accept the truth. "Now tell me what it is that is really bothering you." She gradually looked up, dropping both hands against the surface of the cold table, but she could not meet Keiichiro's eyes. She just wasn't ready to admit her own vulnerability.

"Ichigo" his voice was kind. A little startled by the sudden familiarity he used in addressing her, she lifted her head a second time to look him in the eyes. It was after all, the first time he used her first name. Although honestly, she _had_ just confided in him three weeks worth of unspoken anguish, something she had not even done with the Mews who had somehow figured it out on their own (courtesy of Pudding's detective skills), so really it shouldn't have been the least bit shocking.

"If something happens to trouble you. I am always glad to talk to you." Keiichiro had continued to speak, after catching her attention and seeing her unshed tears. He was always calm and collected, never judging the speaker and could somehow tell when she hadn't told the whole truth; he truly was the perfect listener.

"Akasaka-san," she began to say, teary-eyed as she fought the urge to cry.

"It's Keiichiro." He smiled reassuringly at the red-haired girl.

"Keiichiro…" His words had been comforting despite the simpleness of it. She didn't know what had compelled her to speak to him about these matters instead of the girls – perhaps for the sake of some male input or for his apparent wisdom, or maybe in some ways, because of his resemblance to Masaya – but she was glad she did.

"Forget about him." He reached for her wet face. She hadn't even noticed when she started crying. Wiping the tears from her cheek, he spoke. "All you can do now is move on." She knew he was right. She couldn't possibly mope around forever, waiting for Masaya who had already told her to forget him.

A creak at the door suddenly caught her attention as she broke her gaze from Keiichiro's compassionate eyes. Ryou stood by the entrance quite still, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Ichigo didn't quite understand why he was standing there dumbly so unlike himself without making a single comment about her slacking off once again for only the hundredth time in the history of her employment here. The Ryou Shirogane as she remembered, was never found speechless, even when it was her single most gripping desire for him to stop speaking– that is, right after her foremost wish for Masaya's return.

Uncertain of how long he had been gaping at them, Ichigo broke the silence that had fallen between the three. "Shirogane?" She spoke quietly. If he was to yell at her now in her delicate state, she wasn't sure how she would take it, even if she was half expecting it.

But rather than replying to the redhead's hesitant voice, he immediately turned around to face the door. "Sorry to interrupt, Keiichiro." His tone was icy, though there really wasn't enough time for Ichigo to be certain that it was, since at the very next moment, her blue-eyed boss violently swung open the door and stormed out of the kitchen.

"God, what's his problem?" she muttered under her breath. But she wasn't really all that concerned, having just barely survived a break-up herself.

"Don't mind him" Keiichiro said to her though he continued to stare at the direction of the door even after Ryou left.

" —didn't think how I'd feel. I mean, it feels like my entire world has crashed into one giant mess of a garbage dump." Meanwhile, Ichigo had long stopped wondering about the strange thinking that went on in her boss's mind. She often found it a huge waste of effort to try understanding the madness that was Shirogane, gradually learning to accept that most of his actions really had no reason behind it. Trying to figure him out would only give her a bigger headache, which was the last thing she needed at this moment.

Keiichiro listened patiently to Ichigo's complaints about Masaya's faults, who seemed to have ten times as many now that they were no longer dating. Thirty minutes into the conversation, Ichigo had found that Keiichiro was not only a good listener, but was also someone trustworthy she could confide in. And the best part about her growing friendship with Keiichiro was that each conversation with him incuded free cake!

The redhead would have gladly continued her chat with him over some tea and the strawberry cheesecake that lay half-eaten in front of her, if not for the very rude and grumpy blond who once again interrupted their conversation.

Ryou's voice could be heard beyond the door. "Yo baka. that's enough slacking off for today." She heard a sigh. "I don't pay you to chat with Keiichiro over some tea and biscuits, which are already at _my _expense. If not for the fact that it's with Keiichiro, I wouldn't be this lenient." His voice was unusually soft and quite unlike the screaming bossy Shirogane that Ichigo knew him to be. "Now get to work before I take it out of your paycheck."

The redhead glanced at the understanding Keiichiro who only nodded in reply. "Coming!" After all, her boss's words were entirely true and he was, for the first time, actually civil about it. She quickly ran out the door, fully adorned with the fluffy red cloth and white frills of her Mew Mew waitress uniform. She barely noticed the silent Ryou on her way out.

Until of course, being the graceful feline that she was, she still somehow managed to walk straight into him.

"Ow" she muttered, rubbing her forehead as she took a step back from his sturdy chest where she had knocked her head. Honestly, would it hurt the guy to put on a few more pounds? Her head at least wouldn't have to suffer so much.

He stared down at her, expression completely blank, though this was not at all surprising to her as this was her emotionless boss. "What?" She was waiting for his typical snide remarks. Maybe he'd mention how she was such a baka that even with enhanced cat DNA, she couldn't avoid walking into something right in front of her.

Maybe not. He stood quite still, remaining completely silent.

"Look, I'm not really in the mood for this right now, so can you go away?" She placed her hands on her hips. Today was a bad day to mess with Ichigo Momomiya. Although she was feeling a little better after talking to Keiichiro, she wasn't ready to handle any of Shirogane's sarcastic remarks or worse yet, the random emergence of his other more flirty, Shirogane-gone-wild personality.

She took another step back, holding her arms against her chest protectively at the thought. But he only continued to stare straight at her, his cerulean orbs never once wandering.

"What?" she questioned again, annoyed by his unending silence as she finally dropped her arms after several minutes of awkward stillness. Ichigo caught a glimpse of his narrowed eyes as he brought his eyebrows closer together, right before the golden strands of his blond hair fell over and covered his eyes. He was thinking about something, that was for certain. That look made her uncomfortable. Could he possibly be...?

"Don't dock my pay! I'm going , I'm going." She said in sudden panic. He didn't have to be so angry about it. She had already said she was going back to work, even when she had been in the kitchen with Keiichiro.

She turned away from him, agitated by his lack of consideration for her situation despite the fact that he had no idea what was bothering her. Of course, she wasn't being too reasonable herself, but she was in such a bad mood at the moment that she didn't care. "Kick a girl when she's down" she muttered miserably, stomping back out into the cafe while Ryou continued to remain motionless with his head down behind her.


	2. The Challenge

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Here's chapter 2. YAY!

I had fun writing this chapter. Hope you all like it.

Give me some love! **Read and review** please. I will absolutely heart you all if you do.

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**Chapter 2****: The Threat  
**

"Well Strawberry?" Ryou crossed his arms, casually leaning against the wall as he waited for a response.

"I... um " The red-haired girl stared down at her hands. "Well. There was this tree..."

"And? What about this tree?" He raised his eyebrow at her, although he had some inkling of where this discussion was going. Probably just some more typical Ichigo gracefulness.

"See, the thing is, I would've made it on time. Only, this annoying tree got in my way..." Her explanation was muddled as she had hurriedly said it all in one breath. But no matter how she said it, it still sounded ridiculous.

He stared at her blankly. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm NOT an idiot!" She screamed, pumping her fists into the air. Though he had previously thought it to be impossible, her idiocy had just risen to a whole new level.

The other Mews had been listening as well. Her excuses for being late were always a form of entertainment for them. "Not you too guys!" she groaned helplessly as the four other girls gaped at her incredulously, not even bothering to hide their offensive stares.

"That isn't an excuse." The saddest thing was, the blue-eyed boss knew that the cat girl probably wasn't lying as the imprint of the tree trunk was quite apparent on her reddened forehead.

"Excuse me? But...it's true. I was just running along merrily on my way and out of nowhere BAM! This stupid tree appears. What did that tree have against me anyway? It's not like I ever did anything to it. Sweet strawberries! It's not just trees either, even though it was today. Rocks randomly get in the way of my feet too! What does nature have against me? God, if I was to go camping I'd probably be beat up just from walking around for 2 minutes. You never know where those things like to pop up– " Ichigo had already begun ranting off in a completely different direction, forgetting that she was trying to explain why she was late.

"Like I said. That's not an excuse. It's an embarrassment." It probably would have been better for her to come with a complete lie as an excuse than to prove him to be correct, once again, in claiming her to be an idiot. It really amazed him how even when she tried to prove him wrong, she would only confirm exactly how big of an idiot she was. Even the 'my dog ate my uniform' excuse would have been a little better. Although being always right as he was, Ryou Shirogane did not need this petty win from her.

Thus, instead of continuing the argument towards certain victory and into something he would never let her live down, as it would only end in the redhead once again wailing in high pitched whininess – which he preferred not to hear at the moment, the blond decided to let it drop. But of course, he had to have the last word.

"I don't think your tree hugger boyfriend would appreciate you going around head butting innocent trees." He waved his hand at her to get changed as he began walking off.

However, he was soon stopped by a low snarl. He turned around, expecting to see any object that was previously in the redhead's vicinity to come flying towards his face. But he was pleasantly surprised.

Well almost pleasantly, if not for the fact that Ichigo's eyes stared up at him brimming with tears. "You're the most inconsiderate jerk to ever live!" She ran off, rudely knocking into him before making her way into the locker room. He was used to those words, now practically numb to them. But crying Ichigo...

"Girls are so _moody_." He said out loud, though he was a bit surprised and maybe somewhat concerned for the girl. But it wasn't as though he was going to go after her and question her insanity. After all, what good would it do if he did? He wasn't the one who played the role of comforting her in times of need, that was Aoyama. And besides, he hadn't said anything wrong; he hadn't called her a baka once, even though he might have thought it. So what could she possibly be angry about?

Was that more growling he heard in the background? Goodness, she wasn't back again for the full release of her drama queen mood swings was she? Having been just briefly lost in thought, he had failed to notice the other Mews; Pudding and Lettuce who watched the disappearing red-haired figure with concern, and Zakuro and Mint who scowled at him. Probably for being such an "inconsiderate jerk," though he had no idea why he was.

"What?" He looked at the two who threw him death stares, annoyed.

But they didn't reply at all, only ignored his words as the four girls went to chase after the crying Ichigo.

"Ryou" he heard a voice break the silence that had settled around him as he couldn't help but to stare at the running redhead. Really, it wasn't as if he had done anything wrong but he did feel slightly responsible for what happened. Then again, crying girls were always his weakness.

"Yes?" He responded coldly. Certainly Keiichiro was his best friend, maybe the only one he could have considered a friend, but that fact alone didn't excuse him from his actions earlier that week. Keiichiro looked at the blond expectantly.

"What? I didn't do anything wrong." He said stubbornly.

"Ryou, I'm going after her." Keiichiro finally said upon seeing his motionless friend with his arms still crossed as he remained leaning causally against the wall.

"Whatever." He said in agitation.

"You don't care?" The cafe's chef asked.

"I – Why would I?" He scoffed as he turned away from him. Although honestly, it did bother him just a tiny bit, considering what he had seen the other day.

"Hold on." Ryou suddenly grabbed his friend's sleeve to stop him from running off, reconsidering the situation. After witnessing his supposed best friend and the redhead sharing a moment, it really was something that had to be said. And he was sure that even though he remained silent about it until now, Keiichiro had sensed something was wrong. Seeing how this might've actually been the first time they were talking since then.

"I'll only say this once." Ryou's cold tone was now transformed into a threateningly low growl. His gaze was piercing. "I never thought you were that kind of person Keiichiro. That was low. If you ever try that again on that baka strawberry, consider this friendship over."

"Pardon?"

"Don't play dumb. '_Forget about him. All you can do now is move on.' _Hadn't you said that to that baka as you stared tenderly into her eyes? And I saw how you held her face. I heard how you called her Ichigo and how she called you Keiichiro. That would only happen if you guys were close..."

"Could you be...jealous?" Keiichiro wondered out loud, not denying his words.

"God NO!" he screamed, a little surprised by his own strong response. His eyes gave a slight twitch. "Stop trying to avoid the topic!" He took a heavy breath.

"Look, all I'm saying is, it's good and dandy if you wanna go for the strawberry, though I have no idea why you would ever fall for an idiot like her but, _Jesus_, Keiichiro. She has a _boyfriend_. That was low, pressuring her to forget about him, telling her to move on to you."

Keiichiro sat there silently at first, staring blankly at Ryou as if he had no clue what he was talking about. Pretending to be clueless. Finally, his expression changed into one of...was that amusement?! He really had some nerve.

"Hehehe" he gave a soft chuckle.

"Oh? Is that a challenge?" Ryou said in agitation. He had just had a serious talk with his supposed friend, trying to set him straight on his principles. Yet here he was, simply laughing away at his sincere words. "I'm being serious Keiichiro. I'm warning you. Don't you try to make a move on her like that again."

"Ryou," Keiichiro said kindly "Haven't you been the one randomly kissing the poor girl?"

"Wha-" He certainly couldn't play dumb there, though how on Earth had he known about it? He was sure that they had been alone every time. Not that he was particularly hiding it. But this was way off topic. He loosened his grip on Keiichiro's shirt as he fought off the oncoming headache. "That was entirely different! Don't you try to turn this on me. It's entirely different when emotions are involved. Those were empty kisses to mess with her and she knew I was only teasing. What about you Keiichiro? I wasn't the one to pressure her to leave her boyfriend."

The chef carefully folded his hands together and placed them on the table. "Hm. I was referring to the kisses you used to transform her back." Oh...crap.

"Uh yeah. That's what I was talking about. Whatever." Ryou said a little taken back, but he recovered in the next moment as his voice again took on the same threateningly low rumble as he snarled his threat. "Just stop whatever you're trying to do with her. I mean it Keiichiro." Without another word, Ryou stormed away from Keiichiro. As soon as he was away from his view, the blond proceeded to smack himself with the palm of his hand. That had been purely...genius.

At least he finally got those thoughts off his chest. Still, Ryou could not stop feeling irritated, even if half of the burden was gone. But the feeling of gnawing agitation was probably only due to Keiichiro's apparent lack of morals. It wasn't exactly the situation of the two being together that bothered him, well that wasn't something he'd consider much less ever admit; it was his friend's behaviour that annoyed him.

Even so, he was glad that he was finally able to bring it out into the open. It really had been suffocating for him to know about them and for him to know that Keiichiro knew that he knew. God, he felt another headache coming along.

He trudged along the staircase heading for his room as he held his head with his hands to prevent himself from getting dizzy. Not from over thinking considering he was a genius, but just from the utter mess of the situation. When had it all began between them? It wasn't that he particularly cared, only that the idea of them together was like this annoying itch that couldn't be scratched. The most aggravating part of the annoying itch was that he didn't know exactly why he felt that way since it wasn't really any of his business what went on between them. It was probably just his concern for Keichiiro. Yes, that must have been it.

He grabbed on to the railing of the staircase tightly with one hand, fighting the urge to scream in frustration. It really was time for another calming shower.

Meanwhile, the very bemused Keiichiro smoothed out the ruffles in his shirt left by Ryou's clenched fists, and proceeded to go after Ichigo. "I'll take on your challenge Ryou," he whispered as he smiled at the interesting turn of events.

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Ooo! Conflict conflict conflict. What does Keiichiro have in mind? Is he plotting something? Why'd he take on the challenge? What EVER will Ryou do with that annoying itch?

Favorite moments? Funniest?


	3. The New Couple!

Here's the newest chapter. Fun fun fun. I really like writing this story so far.

Read and review guys. You know it's what gets me going!

Same deal. **Review if you want more! 3+ reviews before the next update.  
**

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**Chapter 3****: The New Couple?!**

"Go away" she cried as she hugged her knees. She was curled into a ball seated on the bench that stood in front of the lockers.

"Ichigo," she heard Mint's concerned voice. Rarely was her voice as kind as it sounded now. Mint lightly tapped her on her shoulder, hoping for a response from the redhead who kept her face hidden.

"Pudding will cheer Ichigo-neesan up with tricks!" Ichigo heard to her right, followed by the sounds of the Mews shuffling around as they restrained the little monkey.

"Shh! Now's not the time for that." Zakuro hissed in a low whisper.

Finally dropping both arms to her side, Ichigo spoke. "Go away. I'm fine really." Her head was still down and she trembled slightly as she spoke. "Really. Please just go away." She managed to mutter as she suddenly brought her arms up again to hold her shaking knees. There was a moment of silence before she heard the girls walking away.

"Ichigo!" The voice was accompanied with the sound of hurried footsteps. She suddenly felt a pair of warm arms wrapped around her tightly. It was a strong grip that steadied her shaking body. The redhead finally raised her head, turning towards the figure that held her. She mildly heard soft gasps beyond the empty doorway of the locker room.

"Keiichiro!" she said half surprised, though she had somewhat suspected it. It wasn't as though it could have been Masaya, no matter how much she had hoped it was.

"Ichigo," Keiichiro said still holding her, though his grip had loosened when she had stopped shaking." I thought I had already told you. If you need to talk, I'm here to listen."

She looked up at him, eyes shimmering with forming tears. Even though they had only just started becoming close, he really had been such a good friend in the few days they had begun getting to know each other. He saw her through so many of her sudden breakdowns, listening to her boring troubles every time. He never complained even though it must have been annoying to hear about the same things each time. "I...I didn't want to bother you with this." She replied honestly. She was nestled snugly within his comforting arms.

"Don't be silly." His kind voice was reassuring. His kindness felt a tad bit familiar. It was almost like...Masaya. She was watching Keiichiro's smiling expression that told her not to worry, but no sooner had she been reminded of Masaya, that her vision of the gentle brunet began blurring over with heavy tears.

"Let it all out" He softly whispered as he brought one hand from around her shoulders to the top of her head. He allowed himself to pat her head lightly and let her fall into the comfort of his dry shirt.

She dug her wet face into his wrinkled shirt (courtesy of a certain grumpy boss) and let the tears flow, oblivious to the hushed whisperers beyond the door. She needed a good cry and somehow, with Keiichiro's caring presence, she could bring herself to let down the pretense of being okay. Ichigo didn't want to bother anyone with her problems, but she really couldn't help but unload part of her burden on the kind chef who somehow knew exactly what she needed. His comforting hug at the very moment she felt she couldn't hold herself together anymore and his steadiness in her time of vulnerability; how did he always know what to do? She really was lucky to have a friend like him.

"Shirogane-san! Don't go in!"

"Don't bother her. You've done enough damage."

"Boss man, don't bother them!"

The low hisses of the Mews suddenly forced her back to reality. Rubbing away the remaining tears on Keiichiro's shirt, she turned her attention to the doorway.

Mint and Lettuce, whose face was now beet red at the scene before her, were pulling their blue-eyed boss by the hands and Pudding had climbed on his back, attempting to keep him outside. Meanwhile, Zakuro stood a little further back beyond the door, refusing to play a part in the madness. But upon his entrance into the occupied room, their restraints were no longer necessary.

Mint and Lettuce released his limp hands as they looked at the dazed Ichigo awkwardly. Ryou stood motionless, mouth gaping, only closing it upon catching himself looking so dumbstruck a few seconds later.

Meanwhile, Pudding had made her way to the ground, and kicked the still stupefied Ryou in the leg.

"Ouch."

"I _told_ you to leave them alone!" She pouted as Ryou looked down at her incredulously. "Stupid boss man ruined the moment."

Ichigo continued to watch them in utter confusion. When she realized Keiichiro was still holding her, she immediately drew back, ears and tail popping into place. Keiichiro only gave a slight chuckle.

The blond was bent over, rubbing his leg as he was finally released from his daze, compliments of Pudding's kick. "I didn't mean to interrupt" he muttered.

"Uh...what?" The redhead watched the blond in confusion. "Interrupt what?" she asked dumbly. He finally stood up and stared silently at her. That look was so familiar. It felt like déjà vu all over again, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. She cocked her head to the side.

Keiichiro stood up to face the lost Ichigo who was still seated. "Ichigo –" he turned to glance at Ryou for a brief moment, before speaking to the redhead again " – chan."

"Oh?" The previously silent Zakuro was suddenly very interested. Pudding bounced around, popping her head out from the crowd of shocked Mews. "Ooo...Ichigo-_chan. _Are they lovey-dovey now na no da?" Zakuro elbowed the hyperactive girl.

"Yes?" Ichigo responded to Keiichiro, completely oblivious to the hushed whispers of the Mews as Pudding jumped up with delight at her response. She didn't understand why they were suddenly huddled together in a circle, whispering so secretively._­_

"Would you like some cake now?" He asked, as he offered his hand to the sitting girl. She immediately took it, allowing Keiichiro to pull her up from her seat. Ichigo's eyes were already glimmering with thoughts of delicious pastries. "Keiichiro!" she beamed utterly ecstatic. He really knew exactly how to cheer her up.

The heads of the huddled Mews shot up at the sound of the redhead's voice. "First name basis?" Lettuce asked quietly in total shock as the shade of red once again crept up on her face. "So they _are_ lovey-dovey na no da!" Pudding squealed with excitement at the confirmation. "Pudding makes a great detective!"

Ryou who stood beside the group of Mews heard every word and remained motionless, staring at the ground. The redhead barely noticed the crowd of Mews and her boss as she was happily led towards the kitchen for desserts, still hand in hand with Keiichiro.

"Ichi – " The blond spoke but stopped suddenly as if realizing something. "Strawberry." He said softly, correcting himself. She barely would have heard it if not for the fact that she just happened to brush by him at the moment. The thick-headed cat girl, though at the moment she was detransformed, turned to face her boss despite the tug she felt from Keiichiro.

"What's up?" she asked cheerfully, all previous thoughts of sadness forgotten as the thought of delicious sweets filled her mind. The thought of the taste just made her mouth water.

"Stop drooling you pig." He spoke, eyes off the ground, once again calm. He somehow always managed to ruin her mood. She opened her mouth to yell before catching Keiichiro's smiling face that signalled for her to let it go. Keiichiro in his infinite wisdom, knew it wasn't worth letting him ruin her happiness over something so small. Besides, there was a mountain of cakes waiting to be devoured.

"I..." The blond's voice caused her to turn back to look at him. "...just wanted to say sorry about before." He shoved his hands into his pockets, refusing to make eye contact.

"What?" She raised her eyebrows suspiciously. Since when did jerks apologize? And exactly what was he talking about? "What for?" She lifted her free hand to scratch her head. She heard the Mews groan. They had been holding their breaths ever since Ichigo took Keiichiro's hand...which she was still holding. She dropped it suddenly out of embarrassment, but Keiichiro gently picked up her hand again, letting her know that it was okay.

Ryou's face was completely blank as he observed Keiichiro's action which Ichigo had seemed to readily accept. "I don't know. For whatever you were mad about?" Mint immediately ran over to him and covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't mind him Ichigo," she said nervously. She managed to then whisper in his ears through her clenched teeth, telling him exactly how idiotic he was to remind Ichigo about the situation.

"Eh?" Ichigo watched them. They really made an interesting pair. It was...weird. She shrugged, ignoring the feeling of slight agitation as she was anticipating the feast that awaited her. "Well, good luck to you guys" she said to Mint and the blond who was struggling to breathe. She gave a slight wink to Mint before being pulled out of the room by Keiichiro.

"Huh?" Mint wondered, finally releasing Ryou from her grip. He knelt on the ground gasping for air.

"Mint-o!" He growled, stressing each syllable.

"Uh-oh. Boss man is mad na no da!"

"GET TO WORK GIRLS!" He screamed, something he usually reserved for the redhead alone.

"Geez, what's with him?" Mint grumbled as she made her way out of the room with the other Mews, taking her sweet time. Pudding was happily bouncing around out of the room, not at all bothered by Ryou's foul mood as she continued to chat about the apparent new couple. Lettuce had run out immediately upon receiving his harsh words and Zakuro walked calmly as she listened to Pudding.

Being the last one to leave, Mint saw Ryou sitting on the wooden bench, hands clasping his head as he stared down at the patternless floor.

"What about Ichigo?" she asked, thoroughly angry that she had been ordered to work while Ichigo hadn't, even though she never actually did any work.

" I don't care about that baka." He snapped, head still down.

"Uh." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I meant, you know, with work."

"Oh..." He released his head from the tense grip and sighed. "Just – tell her yourself, okay?" He got up and walked past the puzzled Mint, keeping his hands clenched in his pockets. Mint watched him slowly make his way out of the door, before she widened her eyes in realization. "Oh my..."

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Something I thought would be useful to readers who aren't usually exposed to lots of anime (Though honestly, who am I kidding considering we must all be pretty obsessed with anime to read or write about it!) Well, it's still useful for people who don't pay attention to japanese honorifics. In all honestly, I wasn't too clear about all of these either, until I looked it up. So here it is in my words, with the important points (which will be related to the story) underlined. This is also useful for my other story too, if you found it confusing why people were so shocked at how they addressed each other.

**Note**: The -chan ending is a term of endearment, usually used for young children or intimate friends or family members. Used between lovers

The -san ending is like the english Mr. or Ms. Somewhat formal.

In Japan, people usually refer to each other using their last names. Only those who are close use first names_._

The -kun ending is used to address young males, or between guys around the same age. Also used by females who are emotionally attached to the male

* * *

Uh-oh! Ichigo and Keiichiro together? A direct challenge from Keiichiro...did he just call her "Ichigo-chan"?! What will happen to his friendship with Ryou? What's going on in Mint's head? Is everyone starting to figure out Ryou's supposed secret cruch on Ichigo (that he at this point doesn't even know about)?

And Pudding's excited! That can only mean trouble...


	4. Game On!

**Unspoken Words**

Read and review please :)

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Last time on Chapter 3:

Keiichiro runs after Ichigo to comfort her. The mews observe them and misunderstand. In the middle of their very sweet moment, Ryou appears. Apparently, he had wanted to apologize to Ichigo for his words, though he didn't quite understand what he had done wrong.

As soon as Keiichiro and Ichigo leave for some cake, Ryou screams at the others to get to work. Mint wants to complain to him about Ichigo not being ordered to work like they had, but instead gets a very surprising reaction...

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**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 4****: Game On!**

"Ahh!" He heard the redhead scream for the third time today. Ryou Shirogane, the 20-year-old owner of Cafe Mew Mew was once again settled against his favorite spot against the wall. He stood right by the entrance of the hallway where he could get a good view of the rest of the cafe without being easily seen.

He rolled his sky blue eyes at the scene before him. The clumsy girl had already fallen three times in just the two hours since work began; once when she had somehow managed to suddenly trip on the very flat surface that was the floor of the cafe by simply walking; another time when she had knocked into the stationary chairs meant for the guests; and just a moment ago. Presently, she sat dumbly on the floor, surrounded by broken plates. Only God knows how she managed to fall this time.

The blond watched her, unamused. Certainly she was known for her infamous Ichigo gracefulness; falling definitely wasn't anything new to her, but this was getting ridiculously out of hand even for her. Enough was enough! And Ryou really couldn't afford to lose his only real worker to carelessness on such a busy day.

"Yo Strawberry," he walked over to the redhead who still remained seated on the floor. Typical baka.

Ichigo was looking down, strands of red hair covering her face. She made no movements at all, probably still stuck in her own world. Ryou sighed at her lack of response and bent down beside her.

**FLICK!**

"Owie!" She cried as she held her nose with her right hand, slowly looking up at the Ryou who kneeled before her. He waited for her typical response – some high-pitched whine or screech with a mix of a couple of glares here and there.

But she only continued to stare at him blankly.

"What's with you strawberry?" He asked in a tone that revealed no concern. She looked at him emptily at first, but her eyes soon widened in awareness. Ryou was only inches from her face, a fact that the oblivious baka had not even noticed until now. He braced himself for the oncoming wails.

...which didn't come.

"You noticed?" She asked softly as she looked away from him, cheeks a little rosy.

"Of course I'd notice."

She spun around at the sound of his words. Her chocolate eyes met his own as she wore a curious look, as if searching for his empty expression to reveal something.

"Who wouldn't notice with all the new plates you're breaking? I pay for those you know." He replied coolly.

"Oh." She shifted her gaze onto the floor, paying no attention to the broken pieces of china around her. "So you're not going to yell at me?"

Ryou reached over to pick up the broken pieces. "Why would I?"

"Because..." She got on her knees and crawled over to help. "...you're Shirogane." He looked at her for a moment as she continued to gather the pieces in her apron. She had said it so simply as if that was a reason in itself.

"So?"

"So...nothing." She said awkwardly. She was either very focused on cleaning up, or was intentionally avoiding eye contact.

The blond gave a light sigh. She must have truly considered him to be a real jerk, though he didn't particularly care. He continued gathering the shattered pieces, all the while trying to read her expression.

"So what's with you?" He repeated. She just seemed so ... off lately – distant as if she was never really there and her attention was always on something else. It was concerning to see the usual giddy and excessively bouncy Ichigo so ...dull. Not that he was concerned. It was just that he could not make sense of the image of a listless Ichigo in his head.

"Nothing," she muttered. "What's with _you_?" She continued, catching him off guard.

"What...do you mean?" She sighed at his words, but remained silent.

The silence was awkward as they were rarely quiet around each other. Usually, they'd be screaming their heads off of each other by now, but something was different about today.

"Oh!" She suddenly jumped, ears turning pink, as Ryou barely reacted to the warm sensation he felt against the back of his hand. Looking down, he was surprised to see her hand on his own. She hadn't pulled away yet, though that might have just been simply because she always was one with a slow reaction.

Just as he predicted, she finally pulled away in her delayed response, bringing her other hand to hold the one she had accidentally brushed him with. "Sorry about that," she muttered as she looked away from him.

Ryou lifted her chin to meet his gaze. He wasn't suggesting anything by it, just as he hadn't suggested anything by the series of random kisses he gave the girl; he only wanted to get a better look at the girl who seemed slightly flustered because of him. He looked in her shimmering eyes and was certain they were full of sadness, though he didn't know how he could tell.

"Ouch!" she said suddenly, grimacing. He drew his hand away from her immediately.

"Geez, don't you think you're overreacting?" He asked somewhat offended. Although why he felt offended to begin with was beyond his understanding.

Ichigo rolled over to sit on the floor, letting the collected pieces of broken plates slide off her apron. She whimpered as she stretched out her legs when he suddenly noticed.

"Oh God." He managed to utter, his usual cold demeanor completely forgotten. "Jesus, your knees." Ichigo's knees were dripping with blood. Her left knee seemed to be in worse shape; it wasn't just scraped as her right knee was, but there was a small fold of skin sliced open. The baka had probably kneeled against some of the sharp pieces by accident.

The girl was wincing in pain hugging her legs which lay flat against the floor. "Just stay still." He reached over to her face and lifted her head which she had previously kept down to hide her tears. "Baka, if it hurts, you can cry." Her eyes were teary, but she didn't sob as he expected. She only let the tears roll silently down her cheeks. With his hand still by her face, he wiped away the tears with his thumb as she continued to stare at him in surprise.

"I'll be back, so don't move." Ryou dropped his hand from her and dashed into the kitchen in a hurry.

He swung open the drawers with the redhead's crying face in mind.

That was a lot of blood for some measly plates. If she was going to run around and break plates like Lettuce and Pudding, she should have at least done it more like them without getting hurt in the process. That baka.

He opened drawer after drawer, slamming them shut when he found nothing. Where was that first aid kit? He knew it was around here somewhere. "ARGH!" He cried in frustration, violently ruffling his hair with both hands. "Where's the damn thing?!"

Finally deciding it would be better to bring Ichigo inside first and away from the noisy customers, he hurried back, knocking into the confused Mint who had just walked in to get more tea. "Sorry" he muttered thoughtlessly, without looking at her as he was already halfway out the door.

"Since when does he apologize?" Mint stood there dazed, before deciding to see what this was about.

"Ichi-chan!" Ryou heard the voice of one he knew too well. The blond froze in place at the scene before him.

"Keiichiro" she whimpered as she stared up at the brunet. Before she could say another word however, the kind chef bent low against the ground and slipped his arms under her. He calmly rose from the floor, carrying the bleeding Ichigo.

**POP!** Ichigo's cat features were clearly visible to her grumpy boss.

"Keiichiro!" she exclaimed in surprise at the suddenness of his actions. The brunet lifted her up a bit higher. "Hold on, I wouldn't want you to fall," he said as he smiled down at the girl. At those words, the slightly pink Ichigo wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to look at him. Instead, her attention was on the very pale Ryou who stared at her silently, narrowing his eyes at them.

The sight of them brought the annoying itch back, though now it had become more like a constant buzz of a fly he'd like to slap. It was truly agitating. After all, hadn't he already warned Keiichiro to leave her alone?

Ryou saw his best friend suddenly turn towards him to offer a smile. Was he challenging him again? Really, the nerve of this guy.

"For a genius, that wasn't very smart leaving her alone back there." The brunet spoke with that annoying smile still in place as he walked towards the blond. "You never know who can come along and snatch her away."

As the brunet walked past Ryou carrying the injured cat-girl in his arms, with the cat ears and tail of Ichigo only irritating the blond even more, Ryou grabbed his friend by the arm, who stopped at the force of the contact.

"You're on." He growled through the low rumble of his voice.

"Nani?" The redhead furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Nothing to worry your pretty little head over, my dear." Keiichiro said as he shot another glance at the fuming Ryou whose agitation peaked at an all time high.

"Nya?" she only managed to utter as the bell on her tail tinkled.

"Keiichiro!" He hissed suddenly as he tried to fight off the feeling of extreme annoyance. "I'm doing this for your own good." He called after the tall figure who was walking away from him, though his eyes were focused on the red blotch of hair he saw sticking out of Keiichiro's side.

"Shi-ROGANE!" He jumped at the sudden sound of an unexpected voice as his eyes continued to following the pair. Mint stood right in front of him with a knowing smirk on her face. Little did he know that the blue-haired girl had been watching the scene curiously from afar at the confrontation between him and Keiichiro.

"Geez Mint. You scared me."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "And exactly why would you be scared?"

"Ugh. Just maybe because you popped out of nowhere?" He said while rolling his eyes, utterly annoyed as he leaned a little over, trying to get a better view of Ichigo's head beyond the annoying blue blob that stood before him.

"Oh?" Are you sure it's not because I'll...REVEAL YOUR SECRET CRUSH ON ICHIGO?" Mint screamed the words for all the world to hear.

The blond immediately brought a hand over her mouth, but she had already gotten the attention of a certain redheaded Mew. Ichigo pulled herself up and turned to look at them over Keiichiro's shoulder as the brunet continued to walk as if he had heard nothing at all, though Ryou couldn't be sure if he had. She squinted her eyes and cocked her head to the side when she saw Ryou's hand over Mint's face. Realizing how suspicious it looked, the blond dropped his hand.

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Why are you stuttering?" she mused, once again smirking. He was Ryou Shirogane after all, the guy who rarely revealed any emotion.

"Because what you said was just so absurd! That girl is a complete idiot. Why would I ever like her?" He snapped back.

"Ooh. Touchy, touchy." Mint really must have been enjoying this, but she continued to speak more seriously. "She can't help acting the way she does, but we can't help loving her for it either." She smiled at thought of the redhead who was her best friend.

"We?" He scoffed. "You are sadly mistaken. I really have no idea what you're talking about." Ryou recovered his calm demeanor.

"Are you absolutely certain?" She looked straight at him, waiting for an honest answer.

"Yes." He immediately hissed back.

"Okay then. I'll just have to support Ichigo and Akasaka-san all the way then." She taunted.

"Whatever. It's none of my concern." Ryou said without a second of delay, though he had resisted a very compelling urge to scream 'NO!'. Goodness, and this had to happen right after he had practically told Keiichiro that he'd stop him from getting closer to Ichigo. Okay, so he _could _see how Mint could misunderstand. But he had only done that to protect his friend from losing his self-respect for his lack of morals and for every falling in love with an idiot.

Honestly, how could Mint ever think he'd fall for someone like _that_, the very thing he was trying to protect his best friend from? He shuddered at the day when that would happen. But he had to admit, the image of Ichigo and Keiichiro being together did in fact, aggravate him to no end though he had no idea why.

He turned his attention back to the retreating figure, focusing on the red blob of hair and dangling legs that stuck out from Keiichiro's sides. Ichigo really had been unlike herself lately and something about her had been bothering him, but he just didn't know what it was.

"Mint." His eyes grew wide with sudden realization. "What happened to that bell of hers. You know, the one she used to keep around her neck?"

"Oh? Curious about Ichigo? Thought you didn't care about the baka." She repeated those familiar words of his from yesterday. He cursed silently under his breath. He really wondered what came over him yesterday when he had the sudden outburst. It was just that feeling off annoyance he couldn't shake off.

"Anyway, that's why you're an inconsiderate jerk."

"For caring?" He asked incredulously "...to ask?" He had suddenly caught himself, but Mint paid little attention to the delayed correction.

"You care?"

"No."

"Then why'd you ask?"

Silence.

She continued when there was no reply. "Well, I'm not telling you anyway. It's not for me to say." Really, what was the point of all that useless talking beforehand then? Ryou rolled his blue eyes at the smug Mint. Sometimes, she was just so annoying. And to think he had left her alone to drink all the tea she wanted. He always thought they had a silent agreement to leave each other well enough alone. He always had a certain amount of respect for the confidently smug Mint – right until she became the confidently smug Mint around him, the king of arrogance. There just wasn't enough room for two pompous people.

"Can you leave me alone now?" Ryou asked, thoroughly tired of talking to Mint. "Go drink some tea or something." Mint didn't even bother responding as she finally walked away from the somewhat grumpy (as he always was) blue-eyed boss.

Well, Mint mused with an evil grin on her face, if he really insisted on being in denial, a certain Ultramarine Lorikeet won't be holding back.

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Ooh! Now Mint's on it too and Ryou's getting jealous! It's only going to be fun and games here on out.

Favorite moments? Chapters? Funniest moments?


	5. For a Day Off

Hi all. Just finished the latest chapter! Hope you enjoy the read.

I've recently posted chapter 15 for my other story, Starlight. Anywho, I haven't been getting any reviews for it so that I'll probably be focusing less on that story from now on, and more on this one. Well, that all depends on which story gets reviews first ;)

**3+ reviews before the next update!**

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**Chapter 5****: For a Day Off  
**

"Mew Mew Ichigo – Meta-mor-phosis!" The redhead screamed as she ran through the empty park, heading to work. Sure, the pink-haired girl could save the world, but she never could manage getting to work on time. While she hated her random and unexpected transformations into a cat, she had to admit there were perks to being her genetically enhanced, super speedy Mew form.

She glanced at her wristwatch. Five to three, she could still make it. Her supposedly mean jerk of a boss had surprised her by being kind enough to give her a whole week off. Her knees were completely healed before the end of that period, but she was still able to take advantage of the old injury; having been late three times in a row since returning to work, she had always managed to blame her tardiness on her weak knees.

But Ryou Shirogane had been acting strangely, and there really was no telling when he would revert back to the slave driver from hell. Deciding to finish her run in one last sprint, she made a mad dash for it. Just a little further…she could begin making out the outline of the top of the cute girlish café against the blue sky.

THUD! And if she hadn't been so focused at looking up at the sky, she could have easily avoided the rock she had just tripped over.

"OW" The detransformed Ichigo sat up from the dusty ground, a little dazed. Then suddenly noticing the very large rock by her feet, she began fuming her typical Ichigo rage. "You stupid rock! WHY'D YOU GET IN MY WAY?" She pointed accusingly at the innocent iron banded stone as she screamed. "Oh, so you wanna fight?" She would teach it what it meant to mess with THE Ichigo Momomiya. Without waiting for a response, she kicked it as hard as she could, planning to send it far away out of sight.

But it hadn't gone exactly as she planned.

"YEOW!" Retreating into a ball as she knelt down, she grabbed her throbbing foot with both hands.

"Yo baka." Her bemused boss stood beside her, with his hands over his ears. "Couldn't you be a little quieter?"

"I'm not a BAKA!" she snapped, still teary eyed from the pain. Not at all noticing the fact that she had just met her boss _outside_ the cafe, when he usually wasn't one to leave the cute pink building. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Cuz you're an idiot." He responded simply.

"No I'm not. Just because you're some sort of genius doesn't mean you can look down on everyone else. So stop acting all high and mighty." She pounded her fists against the ground, causing herself to cough from the cloud of dust she raised.

"Not everyone. Just you, baka."

"Why just me?" she asked, still slightly angry, but more so curious. It didn't seem to make sense that he wouldn't consider _everyone _who had less than a 180 IQ to be somewhat dimwitted. So why just her?

"Because" he rolled his eyes at her, "you're the only idiot."

"Oh, SHUT IT" she screamed as her anger returned. "I already told you, I'M NOT AN IDIOT"

He stood there quite silent for a few minutes, expression unreadable. "Baka, you're late again."

"I SAID, I'm NOT an IDIOT!" she screeched, patience finally at an end, before realizing that she was _still _crouched on the ground…like an idiot… trying to deal with the pain she had caused herself when she challenged the inanimate rock even though she was running late…again, not very smart of her. But that being beside the point, she really _was_ late and it was about time for her to go. She hurriedly got off the ground and began patting down her dusty clothes, before he could catch on that he had once again been right (though it was improbable that he hadn't already noticed unlike the redhead).

"Hai, hai." Ryou said as his signature smirk hung arrogantly on his face. "So what lame excuse do you have this time? Late because of another date with that Aoyama?"

"I-" She looked down and stayed quiet for another minute before finally speaking. "God, I can't believe I thought you weren't that bad over the last few days." She recalled that instance only a week and a half ago when her cold boss had seemed almost concerned that she had hurt herself. What happened to _that _guy, the one who knelt patiently beside her and helped her pick up the plates she broke? But whatever momentary lapse he had then, he was still the creep that kept bringing up the supposed love of her life who left her. "You're still an inconsiderate jerk even if you stopped bossing me around so much at work." she screamed at him, thoroughly annoyed.

"Excuse me?" He sounded surprised. "When have I _ever_ stopped bossing you around?"

Really, he chose to focus on _that _part, when she had just told him that he was a complete jerk? It truly was impossible to understand this guy. She looked up at him quizzically. "Iono, I guess around the time I started to get to know Keiichiro better?"

"Ugh." The blond groaned. "I hadn't even noticed." He muttered to himself. After a slight sigh, he spoke. "Well then, I'll make sure I start acting like a boss again."

"Wai- What?! I just said –" The redhead reached at her blue-eyed boss as he turned around to walk away. "—that's when you were being NICE!"

"AHH" she grasped at the locks of hair still attached to her head. Did she just dig herself into a deeper grave? "Shirogane, will you just _listen_ you jerk?" He stopped walking.

"My point was, you're an inconsiderate, arrogant, snobby little creep!" She clenched her fists, ready to clobber guy. Her original thoughts were totally forgotten.

"Is that it?" Ryou's voice was calm, as if he was not in the least bit affected by her words. "I already know that."

Ichigo's blazing red hair seemed to flare just a little more. The worst part about her self-satisfied boss was that he was never bothered by anything she said or did, while he always had his ways of riling her up. And he always had a way with diverting her from whatever she wanted to say.

Recalling what she had wanted to say, her anger was replaced by gloom. That's right. It was about Masaya.

"I- We broke up." She said softly, not wanting to have to hear it any more than she had to. He really wasn't going to understand how much of an inconsiderate jerk he was unless she let him know. It wasn't as if it really was any of his business, but she could not take any more of his random remarks about Masaya when she was trying so hard to distract herself from it.

Ryou spun around and looked at Ichigo's troubled face. She could not look up at him as tears began to well up.

"Uh…" It was awkward. Ryou Shirogane was rarely found speechless, but at this moment, he was. He stood completely still, only able to stare at the redhead.

She kept her head down, staring at the dusty ground and the blasted red striped stone that had caused her to relive the emotional anguish. But no sooner had she begun to do so when her vision was completely blurred by her tears. Why did it have to come up again? She thought she had dealt with the situation. She thought that all the recent conversations with Keiichiro would help her get over it. She thought she already had a good cry. But she wasn't over it, she just wasn't.

"Why can't I get over myself?" Though she was screaming, tears streamed down her flustered cheeks. "He dumped me. What's wrong with me?" She said in a low murmur. Even if he said he had left because his family was moving, she couldn't help but feel like she was partly responsible for the breakup. "Am I not good enough? Tell me Shirogane, just _tell_ me. Why did he –"

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her tightly. Surprised, she looked up to see a pair of cerulean orbs glimmering with an emotion that she had never before seen in his eyes. She could see his furrowed eyebrows past the strands of golden hair. It was …comforting, being held like that, just being surrounded by such strong arms; it felt safe. It was a little different from Keiichiro's steady arms; while Keiichiro's touch had been comforting, she found herself getting lost in the warmth of Shirogane's hug. And for just the briefest moment, she had forgotten what had troubled her to begin with.

"Shi-"

"Shh. Just-" His voice was unusually quiet, so unlike the normal Shirogane that she knew. "Just for once..." he paused and took a deep breath. "Let it be me to comfort you…not Masaya, not Keiichiro."

"Ugh." She groaned. Masaya…that's what it had been about.

Just as soon as she had uttered the sound, Ryou pushed Ichigo away from him. With his hands still on her shoulders, he extended his arms, creating a gap between them. Just before he dropped his head, Ichigo caught a glimpse of his face. Was he…? But he couldn't be… hurt? Impossible.

"Sorry I'm not either of them." He spat the words vehemently as he turned away from her. His words hit her hard, leaving her feeling helpless and sad. But why should it? Why did she want to comfort him? Maybe it was guilt, having seen some sort of emotion from him for the first time? But she didn't exactly feel guilt, only a pang of pain in her heart.

Suddenly overpowered with the urge to hug him, Ichigo grabbed his shirt and pulled him back with two hands. She dug her face into his chest, eyes now slightly wet from new tears she could not account for and wrapped her arms tightly around his back. She would have been embarrassed by what her actions may have suggested, even though she hadn't meant anything by them, if not for the fact that what had just happened had not yet entirely sunk into her mind.

Ryou, so shocked that he was left speechless for the second time today, raised one arm around her shoulders, and brought the other against the back of her head, gently stroking her hair.

"It's about time to get back now." The blond spoke after a few minutes of silence. Ichigo only wrapped her arms around him more tightly in response.

"Please, j-just a little longer." She let her tears flow freely, no longer trying to hold any back. At this point, she didn't even know why she was crying anymore, only that it felt so good to let it out with him here.

Ryou nodded silently and continued to let her soak his black vest with ceaseless tears.

"Strawberry." He said softly. His words caught her attention, finally bringing her to her senses.

"Oh my – " She jumped away, pushing his firm chest away from her face. She had suddenly realized that she was being held by her annoyingly smug boss, but was quite blind to the fact that she had been holding him as well. "HENTAI!" She screamed as she delivered a slap across his face.

Ryou stood completely dazed after receiving the blow. "BAKA!" he growled at the very next moment.

"Uhhuhuh…whoops" she chuckled uneasily as she scratched her head. "I guess I might've overdone it, huh?"

"GET TO WORK!" he screamed. His eyebrows were scrunched together and his face was twisted into a tight grimace.

"So you really were hoping for Keiichiro" he grumbled to himself as he began walking away. Before he could get too far however, a sound caught his attention.

"OW" It was Ichigo who still stood in the same spot.

"HURRY UP you lazy overpaid worker."

"I'm – ow- _under_paid. –ow" The redhead limped along after him very slowly.

He looked at her blankly at first, trying to see through her act. "If you think you can get out of work so easily just think ag – "

"ICHIGO" he screamed as she suddenly collapsed with her next step. She was on the floor, holding her ankle, wincing.

The motionless redhead watched as the blond immediately ran over towards her while she tightly gripped her ankle. He kneeled down beside her wearing a serious expression with a hint of …something strange…something unfamiliar. It resembled the unexpected look she saw on him earlier when he had held her protectively in his arms. She shook her head to chase away the memory. Why she thought of that meaningless encounter so pleasantly was beyond her.

"You're SUCH a BAKA!" He screamed at her. "What on earth possessed you to kick that rock? Did it occur to you that the rock can't get hurt, but _you_ can? And you decide to do this while your knees are recovering?" She had never heard him yell at her like that, with such sternness. True, he had shouted orders to her plenty of times but he had never sounded like this. His voice was a bit terrifying and she didn't dare to speak. But despite that severe tone in his voice, that almost kind look was still in his eyes. The softened expression she couldn't quite understand.

"God, you're truly the idiot of the century." He muttered to himself as he took off her shoe to check the damage. Despite his anger, he seemed...gentle.

Wait wait wait. Only about ten minutes late from catching on, she finally realized something. Had he just screamed out her first name? And then it hit her, what that look was, but she couldn't be certain. "Were you…actually worried?"

He looked away, hands still resting lightly on her ankle.

The redhead meekly swirled her finger in the dust, drawing a happy face on the ground. "Would uh, this be a bad time to ask for a day off?"

He stared at her blankly, without a word for several minutes.

"You are such an idiot." Though he spoke softly, his voice was slightly quivering. The kind expression was entirely wiped away from his face, replaced by a hardened look in his eyes. He pulled his hands away from her foot and stuffed them into his pockets as he stormed away without another word.

"Shirogane!" She called after him. "Come back!" She motioned to get up, but winced at the sudden sharp pain she felt at her ankle. She couldn't understand why he had gotten so angry.

Her eyes grew wide as she finally understood, after replaying the scene in her head. Oh God. It really had just been bad timing. She had been waiting to ask him for a day off to celebrate her mom's birthday. She would have gladly used one of her days from her week off, but she couldn't _choose_ when her mother's birthday was.

"I wasn't pretending!" The redhead whimpered, though her blond boss couldn't hear her. She hadn't even noticed how it must've have looked.

"SHIROGANE! SHIROGANE!" She screamed repeatedly after the disappearing figure. The redhead couldn't understand exactly why this feeling of desperation took over. Certainly, he must have misunderstood but why was _she_ so upset that he had? It was a simple misunderstanding that could've been straightened out eventually after all. But the girl had an overwhelming desire for it to be cleared _now._

"SHIROGANE!" There was no sign of acknowledgment, although the redhead knew quite well that he was just ignoring her.

"RYOU!" She finally screamed at the top of her lungs. The figure froze mid step. Finally getting his attention, she continued her screams. "RYOU SHIROGANE, you get your butt back here mister!" It didn't matter if he came back absolutely fuming, or if he docked her pay. What she needed at the moment was for him to respond and for him to help her on her way to the cafe.

He spun around, with a priceless expression of shock on his face, but he didn't motion to head back towards her to help, he only stood silently in place barely moving.

"What did you call me?" He asked, wide eyed.

"Ryou Shirogane?" She watched him, confused. While she was very much enjoying that strange unexpected look on his face, she couldn't understand exactly why he had reacted like that. Was it something she said?

"Before that."

"Shirogane?" She yelled, somewhat annoyed. He was still standing in place, and she was beginning to get tired of screaming across the wooded area of the park.

She saw him shake his head, blond locks slapping his face. "No after that."

"Shirogane?" She rested both arms on her knees as she extended her legs. Really, after which time was he referring to? As she recalled, she must've have screamed his name at least ten times.

"Oh nevermind." She thought she heard him say before he turned away from her.

"Hold on!" The redhead screamed when she realized that he was already storming off. "You're such an inconsiderate jerk!" How had he managed to distract from what she wanted to say again? He didn't even take the time to listen!

She was still on the ground, unable to get up from the sharp pain in her ankle and settled against the very rock that led her here. Ichigo lowered her hazelnut eyes onto the dirt floor as she considered her somewhat desperate situation. She looked at her right foot. She was wearing white socks with pink fringes at the top. Where was her shoe? Suddenly remembering the blond's gentle touch against her foot, she cursed silently to herself. That jerk hadn't even finished checking before he stormed away suddenly.

If only he had taken the time, he would know by now that she hadn't been lying at all. The redhead, so focused on her infuriating thoughts, hadn't even noticed her furry black ears that were presently on her head, twitching in agitation. It wasn't that she was upset he had misunderstood, only now, who on Earth was going to help her back to the cafe?

"Ichigo..." She spun around.

"Keiichiro!" She cried in joy, almost teary eyed from happiness. She suddenly felt the back of his hand pressed against her forehead.

He breathed out in relief. "And I thought you had a fever, with your cheeks so red."

Red? From what? "O-oh no. I just twisted my ankle I think."

"Whoa." She uttered. Keiichiro had once again slipped his arms beneath the cat girl, and lifted her up.

Tinkle Tinkle. The sound of bells? The redhead turned her head to the side, reaching her hand behind her as she was lifted from the ground. Goodness gracious. How did that get there? She stroked her warm fuzzy tail lightly. No, the better question to ask was, _when _did it appear?

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What'd you guys think? I had quite a time trying to come up with an appropriate title, because I felt like this chapter wasn't as focused as the other ones. Well, maybe that's just what I think.

Personally, I didn't think this was as good as the other chapters. I was originally only going to have the Ichigo and Ryou scene up to when he thought she had been lying about getting hurt. But then I kept extending it...I wasn't planning to have Keiichiro appear at all... I was going to end it right after he stormed off thinking she had tricked him, or right after he asked her what she called him, or right before Keiichiro appeared. Would've been a much more dramatic ending... but I ended up extending it to make the next chapter easier to write.

Why would Ichigo slap him after the hug, when she had readily accepted one from Keiichiro? And what's going on with Ichigo?


	6. The Devil's Gone Soft

Hey all! Newest update. This story's been a lot of fun to write and it's been going a lot more easily than the other. Anyway, same rules apply.** Absolutely no new update unless I get 3+ reviews!**

Of course, more than 3 reviews help. It really depends on how hard it becomes to write. I might end up asking for more reviews later when I find the story harder to continue.

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**Chapter 6****: The Devil's gone soft**

"Keiichiro!" Strands of Ryou's golden hair swayed as he growled his name. His fierce gaze bore into Keiichiro's kind eyes as the brunet chef held a certain confused cat girl in his arms, a few feet above the ground.

"Yes?" The brunet said, not in the least bit unnerved by the blond's harsh tone.

"Drop her!" Ryou hissed through his gritted teeth.

"Why should I?" The chef spoke calmly and deliberately. "A gentleman never leaves an injured lady alone." He shot a brief glance towards the blond, easily reading his expression of supreme agitation. Ryou brought one hand out of his pockets, clenching it in a fist as if preparing it for something. Finally he spoke. "I'll carry her instead."

"NANI?!" Ichigo, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly cried. She wrapped her arms more tightly around the back of Keiichiro's neck, pulling herself slightly to speak. Ryou shifted his stern gaze away from the brunet, and settled it onto the rosy cheeked redhead, who of course would be blushing, considering her snug position within his ex-best friend's arms. Her fuzzy ears and black tail were in place, as Ryou expected they would be. He narrowed his eyes at those features that for some reason, agitated him like an insatiable itch. That damned itch was back, and if he couldn't do something to stop it soon, he would probably end up screaming out in frustration.

"As I recall," the brunet had once again begun to speak, ignoring the redhead's cries. "Weren't you the one who left poor injured Ichi-chan alone out there?" He smiled at the blond as Ryou stomped towards them, especially riled up by the fact that Keiichiro had just called the strawberry 'Ichi-chan'.

Upon being only a feet from Keiichiro's smiling face, he glared at him. "I didn't know she was injured." He seethed.

"Maybe you should've tried listening to her." The café's chef answered simply.

"Keiichiro, I've been patient enough." Ryou snarled ferociously. While Keiichiro's principles were no longer in question, as the blond had been a little late in realizing that the redhead was now single, the image of the two together had in no way, become any less irritating. And this was because, as the fuming blond was convinced, he simply wanted to protect his dear friend from the thickheaded idiot cat girl.

Ryou could feel Ichigo shuffle around at his abdomen. "Guys…" She looked up at the two helplessly, finally breaking the blond's piercing glare as she caught their attention. The red-haired cat girl struggled to pull her tail from the pressure between Ryou's stomach and her hip, where they were currently attached.

Her boss, finally noticing that Ichigo had been sandwiched between the two of them, took half a step back, just enough to keep himself from touching the girl. "I've given you plenty of warnings." He said, attention directed at the brunet.

Ichigo watched her boss's face curiously, confused over the sudden change in treatment of his supposed best friend. "That's not very nice of you Shirogane." She said as she remained comfortably positioned in her good friend's arms, now that she had enough space to breath. "You shouldn't act like that around your friends. Kei-kun is only trying to help you."

"_Kei –kun_?!" The blond spat the pet name vehemently, completely disgusted. It left a bitter taste in his mouth to say, though he felt a worse sensation in his stomach when he had heard the strawberry say it so casually. "Look, this has absolutely _nothing_ to do with you. This is between me and _Kei-kun." _ He glared at the sight of the cat girl who rested so at ease within Keiichiro's arms. She gripped at the chef's navy blue dress shirt at Ryou's sharp words, accidentally wrinkling it unintentionally. When she finally noticed her tightened grip, she released her hand from the shirt and looked up at him apologetically.

Ryou only continued to glare as he watched the cat girl smooth out the shirt, cheeks turning rosy as her hands pressed against Keiichiro's chest.

"You are unfortunately very wrong about that." Keiichiro spoke after smiling down at the girl. "This has just as much to do with Ichi-chan as it does with me." The blond cringed at the sound 'Ichi-chan.' When did the brunet use such mortifyingly sappy speech?

"Huh?" The redhead, after finishing her work, brought her head up to look at Keiichiro.

"Keiichiro, you really don't get it do you?" The blond dropped his slightly raised fists, and sighed with utter exasperation. "I'm trying to _help_ you."

The brunet looked at him incredulously, not in the least bit convinced. "You're being serious?" He raised an eyebrow at Ryou, who shoved his hands back into his pockets.

"Of course I am!" Ryou immediately responded. "I'm protecting you from making the biggest mistake of your life." He shifted his gaze to the confused redhead before once again speaking, though it came out as a muffled mutter. "Besides, the baka must be really heavy…"

Fortunately for the blond, the brunet took another step back before the now raging cat girl could get a good punch at him. She struggled in his arms, ready to clobber her rude boss. Just as she was about to scream death threats, Keiichiro spoke. "I think you're the one who doesn't get it Ryou." The brunet was looking at him, almost like he _pitied _him. The nerve of him!

"Don't you dare pity me Keiichiro. I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but this situation definitely doesn't call for pity." Ryou spat the words, full of disdain at the brunet's unexpected reaction to what he had said.

The redhead, still swinging her arms and kicking her legs like mad, could not get a single hit at the blond. Being quite frustrated at having been ignored for so long, she finally gave Keiichiro a light nudge. Understanding, he gently placed her down on the ground and she gave him a slight nod in appreciation before beginning her rampage.

Of course, Ryou had been watching the entire time, even if he had pretended to pay no heed to the detransformed cat girl. He didn't miss the disappearance of her ears when she was released from Keiichiro's grasp.

"SHIROGANE!" she screamed as she ran up towards him, charging up a punch.

**BAM!**

"Ouch." He winced with his eyes closed at the sudden sharp pain by his legs. Well, at least he managed to get Keiichiro to release the girl, even if it didn't turn out exactly how he had planned. The blond opened his cerulean blue eyes, expecting to see a fuming Ichigo, which, no matter how much pain she caused him, was always better than a depressed listless Ichigo. And that of course was because Ichigo in her screechy whines and complaints was normal Ichigo free of worries and that translated into a more efficient worker.

"Pudding?!" He could not hide the shock in his voice. Upon opening his eyes, Ryou saw a pouting little monkey girl (though not so little anymore considering she was already eleven), leg still extended from her kick. The redhead watched the girl with both eyebrows raised, as both eyes were fully open in extreme surprise.

"STOP interfering boss man!" the girl cried as she puffed up her cheeks.

Ichigo, with her ears and tail popping back into place, approached the agitated girl and spoke. "He wasn't interrupting anything Pudding." Despite hearing her words, Ryou was very much agitated by the fact that her cat features had appeared at Pudding's suggestion.

"But I _saw._ Mint told me to get some tea for her and and…" she looked away from them. Ryou stared at the girl, eyes widening in realization. Oh, so it was that conniving little lorikeet again wasn't it? What was she planning now?

The silent brunet finally spoke. "It's fine Pudding." He smiled warmly at the girl and winked as he whispered. "There are always other opportunities."

Pudding spun around to look at Keiichiro, her excitement once again revived. "Oh! So you ARE lovey-dovey with Ichi-neesan na no da!" She hopped up merrily, before facing Ryou to stick a tongue out at him.

"_Other _ opportunities?!" The blond boss growled after Keiichiro who was now leading Pudding away. Hadn't he just warned the persistent brunet once again? Was he just going to be ignored again? He clasped his hands more tightly within his pockets, ready to storm after the chef.

"Hold it, jerk!" her voice startled him, though she had been standing in front of him for some time now. Her cat-like features had disappeared once again, probably during her renewed rage. He saw her clench her fists and raise her arm. Like he was going to get caught by that.

Ryou easily evaded her attack, by simply stepping to the side. He watched her swing at nothing, tipping over and losing her balance, being unable to stop herself from lurching forward. It happened in slow motion, and he could clearly see the accident that was about to happen. That is, if he hadn't involuntarily extended his two arms to catch the falling girl.

"Whoa!" Ichigo cried with her eyes still closed. She was expecting to feel the impact of the hard floor, not the warmth of the soft cloth that she felt against her face or the scent of vanilla when she breathed in. It was familiar, kind of like this morning…

"Yo strawberry," she opened her eyes at the sound of the low rumble and gasped. His tone was as cold as ever, but she could see a slight smirk appearing on his face.

"Wh-what?" She uttered as she suddenly felt herself raised from the ground for the second time today. "Um…" She tried to catch his attention. He wasn't looking at her at all as he only walked forward while carrying her in his arms. "You can put me down now." She managed to say.

"Why would I kitty cat?" He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, still smirking. Kitty cat? The dazed girl wondered what he meant. Groaning, she raised her hands towards her head, already expecting what was there. Damn fuzzy ears.

"Anyway," he spoke as he ignored the cat girl tugging at her black ears. "I said I'd carry you instead." She looked up at him, eyebrows raised in suspicion. Was this really Ryou Shirogane? Why'd he become so nice lately?

"Don't misunderstand strawberry." He said suddenly as if reading her thoughts. "I'm only doing this because I should've been the one to carry you out there." The blond did not meet her gaze, only continued to look straight ahead as he walked. Ahh, that really did make a lot more sense in the redhead's mind. Guilt. After all, her boss often felt responsible for many things, such as the change in the lives of all the Mews. Of course he'd feel responsible for having left her out there.

But she was glad that he finally understood, remembering the strange feeling of desperation she felt earlier. The misunderstanding was cleared up and the inexplicable pressure she had felt in her chest was for some reason, suddenly relieved. "Thanks Shirogane," she said a little awkwardly accepting his actions as she noted the comfort of his warm chest and the reassuring support of his strong arms. Well it wasn't like she could really merrily make her way to the locker room by herself right?

"Are you sick?" she heard him say as she felt him suddenly stop in place. "Oh geez, you didn't catch a cold out there did you? Your cheeks seem a bit red." He was looking at her, eyebrows furrowed together. She saw him inch towards her as the ends of his golden hair settled on her face.

Tinkle. Tinkle. Her tail suddenly stiffened.

She closed her eyes from the image of his nearing face, but she could still feel his warm breath. She could feel his forehead against hers. "Eh?!" Ichigo opened her eyes, loosening her previously pursing lips. It was just … involuntary. She hadn't even noticed her own lips.

Was she actually sick? Because that was the second time someone told her that today. And there was no way that Ichigo in her right mind and healthy state would have pursed her lips to Ryou Shirogane. _Shudder, shudder. _No way, no how, no siree.

"Uh, it's nothing," she said as she began to question it herself. After all, _her _being red at the thought of Shirogane's chest and arms surrounding her…which they still were, "I-IM-P-POSSIBLE!" the redhead screamed out loud, quite unaware of what she had just done.

Her ears twitched uneasily as her boss looked down at her questioningly. His gaze bore straight through her, even though she refused to look. She remained tense, feeling as though he could simply read all her thoughts as he so often seemed to do.

"Relax." His voice seemed impatient. "You weren't anywhere as stiff as this when Keiichiro was holding you." He muttered softly under his breath as he continued on his way toward the locker room, quite unaware that Ichigo's sensitive cat ears had caught what he had just said. "So when'd you and Keiichiro get so close?" The blond spoke more loudly, as if making casual conversation.

"You should know." Deciding to take a little bet, she continued. "It was around when you started acting so nice." He stopped suddenly at her words, once again and stared at her blankly. "W-what?" Had he just stuttered?

She shrugged. So he really had no idea in his change in behavior, though she didn't know why he was so surprised considering how she had already mentioned it to him that morning. Something else must have really been bothering him lately. "Well Kei-kun's been great. He's always there to listen or talk, to help me with all my Masaya problems."

"I talk." Her boss had muttered incoherently, though the detransformed cat girl didn't hear. Having continued walking and finally reaching the locker room, he had placed the girl gently on the seat and her cat-features had long disappeared. Her eyes glazed over with a layer of tears as she continued speaking, oblivious to his words. "He's been my support. He's sweet and kind. In a lot of ways, Kei-kun reminds me of Masaya…" she trailed off as she was reminded of her ex-boyfriend.

"UGHH" Ichigo heard the blond groan. Interesting how it was exactly what she wanted to do at the sudden recollection, though she fought the urge. How did he always manage to come up? "Anyway," she spoke cheerfully, unwilling to be dragged down yet another time with thoughts of Masaya. It certainly was going to be harder to get over him than to act happy, considering they _had _been together for three years after all, but it was a start. "It's my mom's birthday soon and I want to celebrate with her. So how's about that day off?" She smiled at her boss, trying to be as convincing as she could.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He muttered mindlessly, as he found a roll of cloth to bandage the clumsy girl's sprained ankle. "You know you can always ask for a day off _without_ getting hurt right?" There it was again, the flash of concern in his eyes before it turned blank…well, maybe. She couldn't be sure of course. Ichigo was a little surprised by his gentleness in treating her injury considering his often cold demeanor, but maybe the devil really could be nice without something having to be wrong. He had been so kind over the past few weeks, it was beginning to scare her.

No, something definitely had to be wrong with him. And by her strawberry bells, she was going to find out what it was.

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Okay so this story was actually half from Ryou's point and half from ichigo's. I don't know if you noticed the transition or if it came out smoothly. Anywho, did Keiichiro just say that'd there'd be _more_ opportunities? heeheehee...i'm really liking the position I'm making him play.

Comments? Favorite moments?

More fun and games to come, as the Mews try to set up Ichi-chan and Kei-kun. Should we prepared for the new Ichiiro/Keichigo (eww the second one sounds weirdd)? Will a certain jealous boss ever realize his feelings? Will be be able to foil the Mews' plans?

To find out, show me some love! Review, review, review!


	7. Let's Go Shopping!

So I had this written already, and decided to update when I got the reviews! I have yet to start on the next chapter...

Anyway, same rules, **3+ reviews before the next update**. Of course it doesn't guarantee an update immediately, but it sure helps. And I'd have to say, I have been pretty good with updating.

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**Chapter 7****: Let's go Shopping!**

The luminescent azure eyes of a certain blond-haired boss followed a single redheaded figure without once flinching. Ryou was leaning casually against the wall, arms folded behind his head. His shameless staring had nothing to do with concern over the clumsy girl, only maybe a slight feeling of guilt.

Apparently, she had not been feigning her injury to get a day off, as he was a bit slow to realize. It wasn't until Keiichiro carried her in with both arms and made his sly remark about how a gentleman would never leave an injured lady alone that he understood. But honestly, he hadn't at all been slow about it. It was that stupid baka in all her dimwitted glory, specifically asking for a day off at the worst moment possible.

Her strawberry locks hung limply over her eyes. He couldn't make out her expression but she must have been dazed, seeing how she was trying very hard to sweep the floor of the cafe with an old mop.

"Ichigo!" He saw the other Mews gather around the redhead. Mint harshly grabbed the handle of the mop from the distracted girl. Ichigo, who had been leaning on the mop at the previous instant, now toppled over without the stick to prop her up.

She sat on the floor, still in her own little world. She really was a baka for not even noticing. "Hm?" The girl finally raised her head to look at her companions. "How did I get here nya?"

Ryou remained in the corner. Usually, he would have been there flicking her nose at this time, telling her what a baka she was for sitting there on the floor if he hadn't already gone out there to pull away the mop from under her chin himself. But lately, he just didn't have the energy for it anymore, and he didn't know why. Sadly, even the baka had began to notice, though he really had to question what she had told him.

That he'd been acting in that way since she and Keiichiro became close. Impossible. It was just coincidence, right? Besides, his lack of energy had nothing to do with the two as he was in no way concerned about them, only maybe a little agitated. Okay, so a lot agitated. But who could blame him for feeling like that when they were constantly together? He didn't want the baka to infect his best friend with her idiocy too.

She was still on the floor in a complete daze, like her typical baka self.

"Ichigo" Mint growled as she watched Lettuce pull her puzzled friend up. "Just because Akasaka-san isn't here today doesn't mean you can get all depressed on us again! You can talk to us too." Ryou's eye twitched upon hearing Mint's words, recalling how only yesterday, the redhead with full fledged cat features, had been once again carried around by Keiichiro - bridal style.

"Yeah!" Pudding chimed in, leaning against the Ichigo who seemed like she was about to tip over again. "And just cuz you're all lovey-dovey with him doesn't mean you can't spend time with us too." The blond clasped his hands into fists in annoyance.

"What?" She was suddenly awakened from her daze. "I already _told _you guys, I'm not dating Keiichiro." Ryou shifted ever so slightly at these words. He didn't really care, though he may just have been the tiniest bit relieved...for his friend of course. His best friend could do better than that idiot.

Mint breathed out a heavy sigh. "Well whatever Ichigo, if you haven't even noticed that we haven't hung out. I just can't deal with this anymore." The dark-haired girl shoved the mop back at the standing Ichigo and stormed away.

Ryou continued to watch the redhead who stood there quite dazed. She seemed more baka than usual and all over a silly boy. Didn't she know that he wasn't even worth mourning over?

Her words echoed in his mind._ Am I not good enough?_ What a stupid question to ask. Of course she was. If anything, that perfectly annoying Aoyama wasn't good enough for _her._ It wasn't that she was anything special. It was just that he never really liked that Mr. Perfect.

"Shi-ro-ga-ne!" He suddenly heard a voice beside him. He groaned.

"Yes, Mint?"

"So you're really okay with me supporting Ichigo and Akasaka-san?" She walked around him, tiptoeing and crouching as she tried to get him to meet her eyes. God, when did she become so...bouncy? It was almost like she replaced the strawberry's usual role...well, except for her lack of working.

"Yes, Mint."

"Don't you know how to say anything else?"

"Yes, Mint." He replied. He saw her roll her eyes at him expectantly, before he let out a deep breath and continued. "I do."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" She was twirling strands of blueberry colored hair as she spoke. "Cuz it seems to me that you were just in the grouchiest mood when Keiichiro brought her in."

"I'm always grouchy."

"Yes but..."

"I don't care." He began walking off from the very nosy Mint, but she suddenly clasped a hand on his shoulders to prevent him from leaving.

"Didn't you grab Akasaka's arm and make him drop Ichigo?" He lifted a hand against his forehead, sensing an oncoming headache. Of course she'd know about that, she had probably sent Pudding to spy for her.

"And didn't you pick her up yourself afterwards?" Mint continued smugly, though really as Ryou was slowly beginning to see, she rarely spoke in any other way. Yep. There it was, the headache. "Look," he turned around to glare at the persistent girl "I just had to talk to her about something, okay?"

"You mean like a confession?" She raised an eyebrow at him, clearly enjoying herself. Although why he had suddenly become a key victim in her games was beyond him. Probably because she could no longer pick on her now emotionally unstable bestfriend.

"When'd you get so annoying?"

"When'd you start liking Ichigo?"

"I don't."

"So why'd you stop Akasaka-san?" Mint ran back towards Ichigo and the others, not even waiting for an answer as her self-satisfied grin remained plastered on her smug face.

How on Earth did she manage to get the last word? Ryou finally released his head from his hands, grateful that the pesky little Lorikeet was gone. He turned to look at the redhead. It had become such a habit that he hadn't even noticed. Upon raising his head at the strawberry however, he caught a pair of brown eyes following his gaze. Mint was staring at him as he watched Ichigo. As soon as he saw, he spun around, pretending that he had only happened to glance at the redhead at that very instant.

"We really haven't spent that much time together lately." He heard Lettuce say as her eyebrows scrunched up in concern.

"Girls." Zakuro's voice silenced their whispers. "Ichigo's been through a lot. We can't expect her to have time for us. It's a little selfish."

"Ichigo," Mint was watching her red-haired bestfriend who wore a somewhat guilty expression on her face, as Ichigo's eyes met the lorikeet's. "You can make it up to us you know." The blue-haired girl paused for a minute before continuing, "What we need...is a girl's day out!" Ryou rolled his eyes at the idea. _Girls_. But he had to respect her attempt at trying to cheer up his favorite strawberry, no - more like, the clumsy baka. And of course he'd rather have cheerful employees over gloomy ones since it would affect their work, as he had already seen with the redhead.

"That...may actually be a good idea Mint, if Ichigo is up for it." Zakuro said. The blue-haired girl beamed at her favorite idol's approval.

"Besides, you need a new look, a change in image or something. It'll help you get over it. Shopping spree I say! And it'll be all on me too!" Mint was trying to get some sort of reaction from Ichigo. She wanted to bring her friend out of her gloom, even if it meant she had to guilt her into agreeing.

"And a sleepover?" Lettuce interjected.

"Of course. At my house." Mint offered.

"Yay! Girl's day out and a sleepover na no da!" Pudding was practically squealing with excitement, bouncing up and down as she spoke. "Oh, oh, oh! Let's invite Mr. Lovey-dovey too!"

"You mean Keiichiro?" Ryou noticed how Ichigo's head just seemed to perk up. Meanwhile, Mint caught him staring at the cat girl, again. He really had to be more careful around that girl. If he was caught looking at Ichigo any more, she might actually be convinced that he was in fact, in love with her, though in all honesty, she was already convinced of that ridiculous idea.

"_Pudding_" Lettuce rolled her eyes. "We said _girls_ day out, so no boys."

"Oh." Pudding stopped her random movements, which were beginning to give Zakuro a headache. In the very next minute however, she seemed to recover from the brief moment of disappointment as her face brightened up with a smile. "What about the sleepover then?"

"_Definitely_ no boys then." Lettuce spewed as her face turned bright red. Ryou allowed himself to sigh a breath of relief, grateful for the greenheaded Mew's shyness. Although it wasn't any of his business, he couldn't help but feel ill at ease over the idea of Keiichiro spending a whole night with Ichigo, even if the other girls were around.

"But but but, Ichigo-neesan always feels better with Mr. Lovey-dovey around na no da."

"Pudding!" It was Ichigo. "Stop calling him that." Her tone revealed a bit of agitation, something Ryou couldn't help but notice.

"Well..." Mint had been watching Ryou's reaction throughout the conversation and she just had the most interesting idea. "I don't really mind. We can invite Akasaka-san, seeing how if Ichigo's not dating him now, she soon will be anyway." As expected, she received a narrow glare from the blond, who immediately looked away when he realized what he was doing. But of course he was going to glare at her for setting them up. He was just thinking of poor Keiichiro.

Though the fact that the redhead had said nothing in response to Mint was for some reason, just as irritating to him as the image of the two being together.

"To shop?" Lettuce questioned.

"For both." Mint offered a wide grin, as the blond suddenly turned back to face her. This girl was worse than the baka. His strawberry, no, _the _strawberry (though what in heavens possessed him to think of her as 'his'? –_shudder shudder_-) was annoying but at least fun; Mint was just plain _wicked_.

"Yay!" Pudding hopped around hyperactively, swirling plates and resuming her tricks in extreme excitement. "Well definitely get Ichi-neesan and Mr. Chef to be lovey-dovey na no da. And then he can _really _be Mr. Lovey-dovey na no da!" The three other mews were smiling, already making plans on how to get them together, including Mint who after all, had just been told by Ryou that he was in no way interested in the redhead.

All of them seemed excited, except for Ichigo who suddenly spoke. "Why don't we invite Shirogane too?" Did the blond just hear correctly? "I mean, it wouldn't be very nice for the whole cafe to go out and leave him here all alone." She rested the mop against the wall and stepped away from the silenced Mews. They had, in fact, planned on setting up the girl with the kind brunet, yet here she was unknowingly destroying their efforts.

He saw her walk towards him, but pretended not to notice.

"Shirogane?" Her voice was soft.

"Hmm?" He muttered as he maintained his calm composure against the wall.

"Wanna come shopping with us next weekend?"

"Not really." _But maybe to keep an eye out for Keiichiro instead..._

"Oh." She turned away from him. Was that it? She wasn't even going to try to convince him?

"But" he spoke before she got too far, his tone still cold to her. "Since I've got nothing better to do anyway..."

She spun back around, red hair slapping her face. "So you'll come?" She smiled as she spoke.

"You're sounding a bit too happy about it baka." He said, leaning close to her face. He was close enough to feel her breathing and thought he saw a shade of pink creep up along her cheeks as she looked away from him.

"Of course I'm happy about it" she muttered. He stared at her blankly, but held his breath. "Because then, maybe you and Keiichiro will get along again."

He drew back from her warm face and groaned. Of course. But no, he hadn't been hoping for the strawberry to actually be happy that he'd agree, he was only groaning at the mention of Keiichiro whom he did not want to talk to, or about, at the moment. And that fact, had nothing to do with the strawberry either, not that he'd admit otherwise.

"Hey guys! Shirogane's coming too!" As the redhead called to the other Mews, he swore he saw Mint smirking again.

"Boss man, no interrupting again okay?" Pudding pouted. "No ruining our plans okay?" She looked like she was ready to pounce on him and give him another kick if he said no.

"I'm not in the least bit interested in your plans." The blond scoffed, placing his hands mindlessly into his pockets. Although Pudding happily accepted his reply, he thought he heard that evil little blue-headed conspirator whisper, "Then why are you coming?"

No sooner had he heard that however, Pudding once again resumed her sugar-high behaviour, once again bouncing up and down as she spoke. "Mint-oneesan. Are you paying for Pudding too? Ne? Ne? Ne? Ne?"

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So what'd you think? This chapter wasn't as eventful as some of the other ones, I hope it wasn't too boring. But it does help set up for the things to come ;)

Next up! The mews attempt at forming Ichiiro! Will stubborn Ryou ever realize that he's jealous? Maybe with some help...


	8. Unlikely Alliance

This was the longest chapter so far! I was going to cut it wayy earlier, but I didn't get to include everything I wanted to, so I decided to keep going with it.

Enjoy the read! **3+ reviews before the next update**.

Thank you all for the support so far!

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**Chapter 8****:Unlikely Allies**

_Even in her dreams, memories of him haunted her. She watched the single figure across the depths of darkness, fading into the distance. She struggled to get his attention as she helplessly watched him walk away. Ichigo ran after him, extending her arms – but he was always beyond reach._

"_Don't leave me," she whimpered as she slumped into the nothingness of pitch black dark. "Masaya!' she cried after the fading figure._

_And then she felt a tap on her shoulder and heard a familiar voice. It had the same smooth texture, the same sweet tone as her Masaya. "Don't worry. I'll always be here for you."_

**RING! RING! RING!**

The still groggy redhead groaned, rolling onto her back on her fluffy bed. She reached blindly for her cell phone as her eyes remained closed. Ichigo was still half asleep, confined within her dreams. And that familiar voice that spoke…was that…?

"Kei-kun?" she grumbled incoherently into the phone at the light touch she still imagined on her shoulder. "Kei-kun… Kei-kun…" she said more urgently trying to get him to turn towards her, but the figure in the dream did not move, having been rudely interrupted by the phone call.

"Hm? Is Ichigo dreaming about a certain chef? Finally over that twit Aoyama?" It was Mint's voice on the other line. "Good for you Ichigo, and you're already so close to _Kei-kun_, it seems that there isn't much work left for me to do."

"What the – " She opened her eyes, feeling something hard against her cheek. "AH!" She screamed, suddenly bringing the phone as far away from her as possible. Her red hair lay in a tangled mess, completely sprawled freely across her cozy mattress.

Then hearing some muffled shouts along the lines of her lack of consideration for the wake up call, she gradually brought the phone back to her ears. Ignoring Mint's words which she had barely heard, she spoke. "Why are you calling me on a Sunday morning?"

"Ugh Ichigo, just ughhh. And will you stop that drooling?" Always the blunt Mint. Ichigo quickly wiped away the saliva dripping through the side of her mouth, wondering if her best friend had heard her attempt to slurp it back in. "UGHH Ichigo. Just WIPE. WIPE damnit. You can always make more spit." Mint now sounded thoroughly disgusted on the other line, as Ichigo was only slightly able to make out the girl's mumbled complaints about choosing a best friend who was so unrefined.

"The mall Ichigo. Did you forget already? The whole gang is going, including your beloved _Kei-kun_." Her voice was impatient, as it often was when she spoke to the sleepy redhead so early in the morning.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Ichigo said as she clambered out of bed, a little breathless at Mint's suggestion. And where had Mint heard 'Kei-kun' from? She had only just begun calling him that recently.

"Oh come _on_ Ichigo. You were just saying his name in your sleep. Three times might I add."

"What?!" Her eyes were now wide open and she felt her cheeks grow warm. No that was impossible. Keiichiro was just a really good friend.

"Anyway, meet us at Café Mew Mew at 11:30. Got it? That's an hour from now. I'll bring my limo along and we'll all go together." Ichigo groaned. If she had an hour, why did Mint wake her up so early? She could have at least spared her another 15 minutes worth of sleep.

She heard Mint mutter to herself some more " – always the one to wake her up. It's not fair!" before she heard the expected click and dial tone. That's Mint for you, never even waiting for a goodbye before hanging up. Well, that was just how her best friend was.

The redhead hurriedly made her way to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and took a quick shower. Then heading back to her room, a sudden feeling of panic took over as it hit her. What was she going to wear? And why, oh why hadn't Mint thought of waking her sooner? Rummaging through her closet, she flung top after top, skirt after skirt, carelessly onto her bed. It was late fall, approaching winter, so she not only had to find something incredibly cute to wear, but it had to be warm too.

Finally settling on a hooded black sweater with a simple outline of a graceful feline adorning her left sleeve, she paused from her fashion emergency for a brief moment. Exactly why was she so nervous about what to wear? She slipped into a plaid red skirt, with lines of black and green running through it and put on a black leather jacket. The redhead stepped into her knee long black leather boots, suddenly remembering how only two days ago, her supposed jerk of a boss had gently taken off her shoe to check her ankle. She brushed away the thought, wondering why he had appeared so pleasantly in her mind lately. His unusual kindness had surprised her – that was all there was to it. She grabbed her black purse with a simple strawberry design in the front, yet again reminded of a certain annoying blond, and made her way out the door. All within thirty minutes, leaving her just enough time to get to the café.

"Guys!" she screamed as her ruby hair flowed freely down from her shoulders. She would have spent another couple of minutes to style her hair, if she had not been in such a rush to get to the café on time. Though why she was in such a rush to actually make it on time on a day she didn't have work was just as inexplicable to her as was her urgent desire to look especially nice today. "Hello?" She continued screaming when there was no response.

Ichigo stood in front of the very empty café entrance. She glanced down at her watch. It read 11:30, on the dot. Where was everyone? They couldn't have already left since she wasn't late. Maybe they were pulling a prank on her, hiding behind some trees and waiting for an opportunity to scare her. "Guys, this is _stupid_." She screamed, somewhat agitated. Thinking it over, when would they have the time prepare the prank if she was actually on time? Besides, she really couldn't imagine Keiichiro doing something so mean and she couldn't imagine Shirogane, the king of mean, doing something so stupid.

"Are you guys done?" she continued screaming. "This is getting ridiculous!" She paced at the front door.

"I agree." The double wooden doors of the café suddenly sprang open, with a very agitated looking boss standing inside. "Would it hurt you to not be so _loud_ for once?" Ryou brought one hand from the handle of a door, to his forehead, rubbing his temples with his middle finger and his thumb.

Ichigo froze mid-step. What was he doing still inside? So she always gets yelled at for being late for work, yet it's okay for _him_ to be?

"What are you going _on_ about, strawberry?" he groaned as he continued massaging his head. "I think the better question to ask is why are you still _outside_? You baka."

How dare he call her a baka! And of course she'd be outside, having been told by Mint that they were supposed to meet at 11:30 sharp. It was that idiot Shirogane who didn't know what he was talking about.

"Excuse me baka? I am clearly not the idiot shouting at nothing in the morning." He finally dropped his hand and raised his eyes to look at her. "Wait a second. You said Mint told you to be here at 11:30?" His eyebrows arched together in annoyance.

Ichigo looked at him curiously. No, she hadn't _said _that Mint had told her to be here at this time, she had _thought _it. She raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously. Really, how did he _do _that? Maybe it was some supernatural power of geniuses.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Baka, don't you even know when you're thinking out loud?" Though he had been very tempted to play along just to mess with her head a little, he resisted the urge. It wasn't very productive after all, considering he really had better things to do with his time.

One of which included getting ready for the oh-not-so-fun-filled day of Mew madness…plus Keiichiro. In fact, he had been in the process of preparing for the start of his day, if not for the rude interruption from a very noisy redhead. He really had to thank that conniving little birdie for that though.

"Anyway strawberry, it seems that you have been misled. We're all supposed to meet at 12:30. So run along and entertain yourself before then." Ryou still stood hidden behind the half opened doors, unwilling to move.

Her hazelnut eyes grew wide at his words. Oh, so it was all Mint? Mint was the one who made her scream randomly in the morning like a madwoman? What was she playing at? But Ichigo wasn't going to just 'run along' especially not after having rushed like mad, still managed to look amazing, and miraculously having reached the point of destination at the assigned time.

"Look, you." She snarled as she shoved the doors open, suddenly exposing a bare-chested Ryou. Her black tail and fuzzy ears popped in place, as she cursed silently at her infused DNA. "I- uh…" Geez, what was it she was about to say? She cocked her head curiously to one side, finger on a cheek as she looked up thoughtlessly at the ceiling.

"Well?" He snorted, quite unamused and looking agitated. Ichigo glanced at him upon hearing him speak, but quickly turned away when her eyes accidentally met his sturdy, well-toned chest. He followed the gaze of the speechless cat girl, and a smirk began to creep onto his face.

"Hm. You like?"

"G-god n-no!" She quickly denied, sputtering at her words. The redhead silently berated herself for the warmth of her cheeks, which were probably now displaying a nice rosy glow, not to mention the ears and tail that were already in place. It really sucked being so easily read. "Would it hurt you to keep a friggin' shirt on?" She screamed, embarrassment replaced by anger at herself. She was only letting him rile her up so easily after all.

Her blue-eyed boss stared at her blankly. "If I recall correctly, _you_ were the one who interrupted my morning shower." She rolled her eyes at him. It was really impossible not to interrupt when he showered every couple of minutes. Freak.

Ryou continued speaking, self-satisfied grin still in place. "Unfortunately for you, I managed to slip on some pants before racing downstairs to stop those screechy headache inducing whines of yours." She shuddered visibly at his words. Really, the image of a half naked bare chested Ryou caused more than enough trauma for the rest of her life…and he was suggesting _more?! _Eww.

She stormed in, ignoring his words and ready to induce more than a headache to her arrogant boss. But she was pleasantly surprised when she felt his hand ruffle through her hair. "Good to see you back, strawberry." She spun around to get a look at him. Her supposed meanest jerk of a boss, had almost, just _almost_ completely reverted back, if not for the warm smile that he wore on his face that kept her reminded of his recent kindness.

"Good to be back, jerk." She smiled back at him. So maybe Shirogane was still a little off, but that smile really did suit him well.

He combed through his blond hair, smile still lingering as he led the redhead inside. Ichigo watched the back of her boss's head silently. In his own jerk-like way, he really was a good guy. Keiichiro had his kindness to support her while Shirogane had his foul mouth to make her forget. All their bickering was fun and games after all, and it really was refreshing to have someone who wouldn't get offended to snap at.

"Strawberry?"

"Oomph." The blond had suddenly stopped in place, causing the still walking Ichigo to knock into him. She was falling backwards from the force of the impact, if he had not been so quick to grab onto her hand.

"You're such a clutz." He said as he pulled her into him. Her eyes were shut tight from the moment she had sensed that she was about to fall, but she felt the contact of his hands. Was that the second time he caught her?

Feeling something warm against her cheeks, she opened her eyes.

"HENTAI!" The redhead screamed when she realized she was positioned very snugly within her boss's bare chest. Her ears and tail popped back into place for the second time today. She could feel her red hot cheeks as she proceeded to pull her hands away from his and thrash about, fisting into his chest repeatedly.

The golden strands of his hair fell over his eyes as he looked down at the cat girl. Although he was a bit annoyed by her actions, he allowed himself to smirk at her nervousness around him. Even the idiot cat girl seemed kind of cute when she was so flustered, which was one of the reasons he loved teasing her so much; it wasn't that he was actually interested, he had only wanted to see her blush and stutter all because of him.

He grabbed a hold of her hands causing her to look up at him to meet his. Rather than screaming as the blond had expected her to do, the cat girl remained entirely motionless, a little tense as they stayed in that position in silence.

Ichigo stared into his blue eyes as his face neared hers. It was mesmerizing how much she could see in them. She had to look away, she just had to, before she was entirely caught in the depths of those damn eyes. But no matter how she tried to fight it, she couldn't turn away. Settling for the next best thing, she closed her own hazelnut colored eyes. Take that Shirogane! Just try your little trick now!

Although she had mentally challenged her annoying blond boss, she was poorly mistaken if she thought that simply closing her eyes would be enough of a defense. She felt his warm breath tickle at her skin and could smell the sweet vanilla scent that she was so close to tasting. The cat girl involuntarily shivered as she felt his nose brush across her cheek and finally settling as his lips got closer…

And then her feet moved on their own, tip toeing just enough for her lips to suddenly meet his. It sent an electric shock through her body, causing her to immediately pull away in astonishment.

…Only for her to realize that she was about a feet from the café floor. "Meow?" She looked up at him with her ruby red cat eyes and saw that blasted smirk.

"Good kitty. Now just stay quiet as I try to sort this out with Mint." The smirk on his face seemed to fail for a moment, as kitty Ichigo thought she caught a glimpse of a real smile – like the one he had unknowingly flashed her earlier before.

That conniving blond. So he had just done that to tease her again? She wondered a bit dejectedly as her confusion was slowly replaced with anger. Sure, he's done it before, but he had seemed so different lately, she thought that maybe…maybe he had been…serious? But why on Earth would she want him to be? And why was she so angry that he wasn't? Well of course she'd be angry. Kisses were supposed to mean something and here he was casually devaluing the worth of her kisses.

He was still looking at her, his eyes serious as he managed to whisper. "You look nice today. I mean, uh, before you transformed. Probably dressed up for Keiichiro, eh?" He suddenly turned his attention from the dazed Ichigo, whom he had just managed to thoroughly confuse yet again and bent down to reach into her strawberry bag.

Yes, into _her _strawberry bag. What nerve!

"Hey Mint." The blond was speaking into Ichigo's bright pink phone. Rather than running upstairs to get his own cell phone which did not contain Mint's number, he just reasoned it would be easier to call from Ichigo's neon bright phone. He really had to question her taste when she carried around something like this, but then again, this was the same girl whom he just complimented. His ears turned a little pink at the thought. What had possessed him to do such a thing?

"OWW. BAD KITTY." He screamed as Ichigo jumped up and clawed her way to his shoulders, settling next to the phone.

"I see you're having fun with Ichigo there." The cat hissed at Mint's voice. "Ichigo," the voice on the other line continued to speak upon hearing the threatening hiss. "I thought you were with Keiichiro, what with you calling his name over and over in your sleep. What a fickle girl, kissing other guys. Tsk tsk tsk."

"MEOW! MEOW!" Mint should _so_ die. "MEOW MEOW MEOW!" And who said she was with Keiichiro? She had only told everyone about a million times now that they weren't dating. Not that she was defending that kiss in anyway.

"She says she's not dating Keiichiro." The blond translated, not choosing to explain the first part, as he winced at the cat's sudden extension of her claws when she heard her best friend. But it was the pit of his stomach that wrenched in greater pain when he had heard that the strawberry had called Keiichiro's name in her sleep.

"Oh, wouldn't you like that, Shirogane-san." Mint mused.

"Oh just sh-shut it will you?" Ryou suddenly screamed into the phone, his cheeks slightly rosier than usual as Ichigo watched his strong reaction with curiosity. Obviously he wouldn't want the two to be together, but it was for an entirely different reason than what Mint was suggesting, and he couldn't possibly admit that fact in front of the strawberry. "So why did you tell her to come so early?" Ryou asked, all too eager to change the subject.

"Well, do you want the answer meant for Ichigo or do you want the real reason?" Mint's voice sounded as smug as ever. She proceeded to speak before he had a chance to answer. "Of course, I'd be telling Ichigo that I told her to meet us an hour earlier specifically because she was always late, and I reasoned that maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to make it right on time. But you know the real reason…"

"Oh, Mint? What would that be?" Ryou attempted to speak in his normally cold, emotionless tone. It really was harder than he had made it seem.

"Hm. I'm saving you the embarrassment. Anyway, you guys should head to the mall first. We'll meet up with you later." She was chuckling on the other line, and her words were met with only silence. The blond reached over at his shoulder, and lay the black blob of fur onto the ground. Whatever Mint was going to say, he didn't want the strawberry to misunderstand.

"What Shirogane-san, no thank you?" Mint spoke after hearing the sound of the blond shuffling to get the cat off of his shoulders. "You really should be thanking me. While all the other Mews are helping Keiichiro, I'm the only one looking out for you. Besides, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have gotten that ki— " Click. He had flipped the phone shut before letting her finish.

After dropping Ichigo's phone back into her bag, he looked down at the furious cat. He heaved a heavy sigh, before picking up the glaring cat and giving her a light tap on the lips. Ick. Furry lips. The baka should really appreciate his kisses a lot more.

"Oh THAT MINT will PAY." Ichigo screeched immediately after she had been transformed back. "I CAN'T believe I was on time too!" She was fuming, flailing her arms around like mad.

Was Mint actually being serious when she said she was helping him? Because it really seemed like she was causing more trouble than anything else. And did she actually think that he wanted to be with the baka?

" – best friend?! If she's my bestfriend, why does she always trick me? Pft. Stupid Mint. Stupid stupid Mint." Ryou rolled his blue eyes at the raging girl. She sure had a lot of energy to waste and she was such a baka for screaming at nothing again. Mint wasn't even here to listen and it was because of her that he somehow got stuck with the position of listening to the strawberry's high-pitched, ear piercing, head throbbing complaints.

Think Ryou, think. He rubbed his temples with both hands, before raising his head in realization. He rested both hands on the redhead's shoulders, silencing her as he got her attention. "Wanna get back at Mint?" He asked, evil grin in place, as an idea suddenly dawned upon him.

"Hell yeah!" She was smiling and her eyes glimmered with mischievousness. He drew back just a little bit, surprised and interested in her new look so unlike her ditsy self.

"Let's shake on it, partner." He offered his hand to the girl. She grabbed his hand, without a second of hesitance.

So Mint was trying to set them up, huh? Well then, she was in for a big surprise.

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Hmm...sorry I didn't get to the mall scene yet. I was originally planning to write about that for this chapter, but I thought this would be a lot more interesting.

What was your favorite moment? Funniest part? Do you think this story is moving at a good pace or is it too slow?

Coming up! It's Ryou and Ichigo's turn to fight back!


	9. Just Practice

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews!

Have fun reading! I'm tempted to make some comments but I'll save that for the end of the chapter so I won't ruin anything.

Please read and review!

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**Chapter 9****: Just Practice**

She sat with her back arched forward as she leaned toward the speaker in their cozy stall situated in the American style diner of the mall. Above their table, two lamps hung low from the ceiling, their purposes now only decorative as the daylight of the late morning sun bathed the entire interior of restaurant, settling warmly on the red cushioned benches and checkered marble floors.

Her russet eyes darted from side to side as she watched her surroundings suspiciously. It didn't help to be seated right beside the massive display window, where all the pedestrians outside could look right in.

"Strawberry," the speaker spoke rolling his luminescent blue eyes at Ichigo. "Stop being so paranoid. They're not even in the mall yet." He closed his hands around a hot steaming cup of coffee, raising it to his lips for a small sip.

"Shh. The walls are listening…" She huddled forward, raising both hands protectively around the small gap that lay between her and the blond figure who was sitting across on the other side.

"Mhmm." He muttered nonchalantly at the ridiculous girl. Ryou gently placed the cup back on the small plate, before continuing to explain the plans. He questioned whether the thickheaded strawberry in front of him could do it. She was always so easily read; would she be able to act?

When she had heard his explanation, her eyes stopped their prancing and remained focused on Ryou's face. "We're gonna do what?" Her mouth stayed open even after she finished speaking.

"You heard me," he said, smirking. "Don't give me that look baka. It's not like I want to do it anymore than you do." He watched the stupefied redhead and her half eaten pancakes. She had long released the fork from her grip.

"And remember, it's all so that we can get Mint back." The blond quickly added, though his heart jumped slightly at his brilliant idea. But why wouldn't it? He'd manage to prevent the baka away from spreading her infectious idiocity to Keiichiro while messing with Mint's mind. It was purely genius; he had every right to be excited. In fact, it was so genius that he half expected the strawberry to admire his plans just as much as he did.

Ryou raised a hand to his head, rubbing his temples, only just catching the term 'idiocity' a few minutes too late. Oh God, the idiot had already begun getting to him. He dropped his hand; this was no time to dwell over his very casual misuse of a nonexistent word.

"Uh…but that's just so…EWW." She scrunched her nose at him, showing clear distaste for what he had said. He drew away, leaning against the back of the cushioned bench with furrowed eyebrows and an offended look; _he_ was the one feeling disgusted, but it really was a good plan – she should at least appreciate _that_ much.

Ichigo picked up her fork and twirled it between her fingers as she propped her head with her other arm in consideration. She puffed her cheeks, finally looking up. "Well, as long as I don't have to kiss you."

"Atta girl." He sat back up, eyes shimmering with more emotion than usual. It was full of glee. Utter glee at what they had in store for Mint.

She raised an eyebrow at his words, but after a few moments, chose to ignore it. Then with a narrow grin adorning her face, she spoke. "We'll definitely mess with Mint's head so badly, she'll think twice the next time she wants to do anything to us."

The blond looked at the redhead with a new found respect. Boy, was this going to be fun, even if he had to cooperate with the baka who really didn't seem all that moronic at this moment. He settled his hands back on the lone cup, the table surface in front of him lay empty otherwise. After all, he had already eaten at the café, but he watched the strawberry who sat across from him stuff her mouth with pancakes covered in, as expected, strawberry syrup.

"Mwahahaha..." Her eyes narrowed as she laughed evilly. Ryou raised an eyebrow at her. Had he just created a monster, an evil conspiring monster to fight the conniving little bird? She caught his gaze, before suddenly coughing from overstuffing her face. She quickly fisted her chest and gulped a mouthful of water to wash down the oversized clump of half chewed up pancake. "Sorry. I was just doing that for effect." She scratched her head awkwardly. Nope, it was still the same old strawberry, but with a strange new glint in her eyes.

"Shirogane-san!" The sudden squeals and screeches came unexpectedly as the redhead spun around to find the source of the voices. She had momentarily let her guard down, having been so absorbed in 'Operation Confuse-the-hell-out-of-Mint.'

"Couldn't you think of a better name than that?" the blond asked in response to her thoughts, which she had accidentally announced out loud. Ichigo gave a small gasp before dropping her hand from her mouth. This had happened so often, she really should not have been affected by it at all, but she could never help being surprised. Ryou took another sip of coffee before speaking. "Operation Blue Jay."

"I don't get it." Ichigo stared at her blue-eyed boss blankly.

"Of course you wouldn't," he stated all too smugly. "Mint is a Lorikeet, but by the end of today, we'll confuse her to the point of making her think she's a Blue Jay."

"Ohh." Ichigo said as she scratched her head – not in confusion over his explanation, but in bewilderment of why everything Shirogane did only further displayed his obsession over the Mew Project.

"Anyway, remember to keep it from the others. It won't work otherwise." The deep rumble of his voice seemed to resonate a little too loudly for her liking, even though she knew that was how he normally spoke. Besides, the walls could _hear_…

"SHIROGANE-kunn!" There were about ten girls staring at the calm blond from outside, with only the thin glass pane separating Ichigo and her boss from the enormous pressure of the stack of girls with their faces plastered against the window. "Oh my gosh, he's soooo hot!" The redhead heard a voice a little further off as a girl suddenly swooned over. "Oh please," Ichigo muttered to herself as she rolled her eyes at them. If only they knew what he was really like.

"Hurry up and finish your breakfast so we can get out of here Strawberry." The blond stated with a cheek resting against one hand.

Ichigo pressed the end of the fork into the fluffy texture, swirling it around in the plate of syrup. "So uh…you know those girls?" She looked away from him as she gulped down a tight knot in her throat. She wasn't particularly interested, just a bit curious.

He turned his gaze toward her and watched her curiously; she was now looking at a painting hanging on the diner wall and her hand was still holding the fork. Figures the pig would be ready to eat in a moments notice no matter what she was doing. "Mhmm…" He said with a bored tone, fighting off the sudden inexplicable feeling of restlessness. "Just some girls from school."

"Oh." Her hair hung over her eyes as she brought her head down to look at her food, which she was still mindlessly dipping in sticky syrup.

"Shirogane-chan!" One girl had managed to make her way on top of the large pile, forcefully suppressing the other girls who also had their faces pasted against the window. Ichigo watched her silently, admiring the beauty of the orange-haired girl. She had a creamy complexion and full rosy lips. "It's me! Reina!"

Ryou turned away from the window and groaned.

"What a coincidence you're at the mall!" She attempted to say casually as she screamed through the window. Then grumbling, she turned to a girl beside her with short brown hair and seethed through her gritted teeth. "Why didn't you call me sooner?!"

Meanwhile, the redhead had been sitting quietly as she listened to the girls. For some reason, her head felt like it was about to explode from hearing so many squeals in the background. A perfectly good breakfast was now ruined, and to think that she had been getting through the meal without once arguing with her boss, just something she casually noted. No wonder Shirogane rarely went out.

She looked up at the blond who was as emotionless as ever as she clenched her hand around the fork. Did anything ever affect him? Because these girls had nothing to do with her, yet they were still able to agitate her to no end.

Ichigo slid her way further down the bench, getting closer to the window as Ryou continued to look away, cheek in hand while wearing a very bored expression on his face.

**THUMP!** The loud noise caught his attention, as he stared at the scene outside.

The girls were about a feet from the window, all of them were sitting either on the floor, or on top of each other as they each rubbed their heads.

"Ouch." The redhead had spoken very softly, hiding her pain in a hushed whisper, but she was smiling. Ryou lifted her chin to get her attention. "You okay?"

"Just super!" she answered cheerfully, without a trace of sarcasm. "I accidentally knocked my foot into the window." She chuckled awkwardly as she scratched her head with her free hand. Ichigo rested her right ankle against her left knee so that she could rub away the pain in her feet.

The blond stared at her dumbly, before recovering from the brief moment of shock. 'Knocked her foot' was a bit of an understatement, he considered as he remembered the loud sound he heard as the strawberry's shoe made contact with the window pane, probably with such force that it had sent the other girls sprawling backwards onto the sidewalk.

"You're smiling" The redhead stated.

"Am I?" He hadn't even noticed as he brought his hand up to feel the corner of his lips curved up. Although he wasn't particularly happy about anything, he could not explain why his mouth had moved on its own.

"For real too." She was smiling back at him. The strawberry could almost be …pretty, like this. He let out a small cough, to chase away the thought. It was simply because she looked like less of a baka when she was happy. "You should smile more often." He heard her say. Ryou looked at her, catching her slight wince as she tried to disguise it with a strained smile.

"YOU!" There was a loud tapping at the window. It seemed as though Reina had gotten back on her feet, along with the other glaring girls. "Get away from him!" she screamed, eyes narrowed at the wincing girl. "Who the hell are you anyhow? And why are you with Shirogane-san on the only day he's out in the mall?" The girl was pulling at the ends of her silky hair, as she was visibly grinding her teeth.

"Pft." Ryou heard the redheaded Mew scoff under her breath. She heaved her chest, appearing as though she was about to say something, but the blond cut her off. He gently placed a hand over her head and gave her a small pat to silence her.

She watched his unflinching gaze, as sounds of light swooshing could be heard while the blond scuttled over to the open edge of the bench. Her eyes followed his the entire time, not quite certain of what was happening, but all the same, holding her breath at the sudden change in atmosphere. He stood up, golden strands of hair fell over his eyes, which he casually parted with the back of his hand, and plopped right beside her.

Ichigo could hear muffled gasps beyond the window as she turned to look at him, with her back facing the girls.

"AHH! WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Yes, there they were – the expected screeches, though in Ichigo's point of view, they truly were overreacting seeing how her boss had simply changed his seat. Still, the redhead was involuntarily holding her breath without even realizing it.

"We might as well start practicing." He whispered quietly to the girl, right before he bent down suddenly; head almost level to the table. She could feel his warm hands reach under her knees, pulling her legs up and lifting them to rest on the cushioned bench. Then, he placed her tense feet kindly on his lap. Her cheeks were getting warm as she fought the rising speed of her heartbeat. At this rate, her cat ears were going to pop out.

"OH that BITCH!" Ichigo brought her hands to both human ears at the sudden shriek. She was honestly a little thankful for the interruption from her thoughts, which of course only resulted because of the suddenness of the unexpected action from her inconsiderate boss. Why he was acting like that was beyond her, as she was sure he knew perfectly well that she couldn't transform in front of the pile of obsessed fan girls.

The redhead could sense the disturbingly dark aura that was emanated from behind her, beyond the fragile glass pane that she was sure would shatter at any moment from the enormous pressure of the evil aura. She watched Shirogane in silence as he pulled off her right shoe, yet again, to check the damage.

Without even meeting the eyes of his admirers, he applied a bit of pressure against various places along her ankle and spoke to them. His tone was cold and threatening, but his touch was still gentle. "Don't you dare insult her." His simple words were only met with silence, as he continued to check the rest of Ichigo's foot. Despite his tone, the redhead was not in the least bit uncomfortable, though she had shifted slightly at his words for reasons she didn't understand.

Her right foot was feeling much better, as he had settled for massaging her foot when he found nothing wrong with it. He looked up at her, his blue eyes were wonderfully kind as he wore a softened expression that she had only seen twice before, causing an unanticipated warm sensation to spread through her body.

"It's practice remember?" He whispered to the clueless girl. Her eyes must have revealed her confusion since at the very next moment, he said, "Practice for Mint. Just play along okay?"

In the very next instant, he growled in that ferocious tone once again. "If you insult my girlfriend, you're insulting me." He raised his gaze from Ichigo's foot, which he kept on his lap, into a fierce glare directed at the gaping girls outside. Then picking up her right shoe from the ground, he slipped it back onto her feet.

"It's about time, Ichigo." He said softly, as she stirred at his use of her first name. Well of course if they were pretending to be dating, they'd have to be familiar with each other right?

"Okay, R-Ryou." She managed to say through her stutter, curious as to why she had been tongue-tied. This was pretend after all. Ichigo felt the blond grab onto her hand as he pulled her away from the shocked crowd of admirers, some of whom cursed silently at her, others who stood dazed without words, and even more so, those who rapped at the window violently in envy and anger. She barely noticed the girls who were now being shooed away by the store owner as her eyes were focused elsewhere. Ichigo stared at the back of the man who was now paying, in absolute disbelief.

Strange. It wasn't as repulsive of an experience as she had expected it to be.

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I'm very sorry I still haven't written about them hanging out in the mall with the others. Anyway, I wasn't sure if I should include something as sweet as this yet, since I wanted to develop Ichigo's and Keiichiro's relationship a bit more plus the Mews and all of their plans. But having gotten those reviews, I thought I'd treat the readers to a bit more fluff, even though I tried to keep it at a minimum so it still seems in character.

Teeheehee...the pair is just about to set off to meet the others. What exactly do they have in mind?


	10. Let the Games Begin!

Hi all! Sorry for the slight delay, but I wrote this up as quickly as I could. I was updating my other story, Starlight. Anyway, as a very grateful thanks for once again reviewing past the expected number of reviews, here's the newest chapter. The whole mall scenario is going to end up longer than I expected, so it will probably take around 3 chapters to complete. But here's the first part, I hope you enjoy.

There was a slight change in writing style in this chapter, so I hope you'll forgive me! It was partially because I was trying to move along the story so I focused more on the character's thoughts than the surroundings. Anyway, as I've decided to split this up into multiple chapters, I'll probably revert back to the previous style of writing.

Same rules apply, **3+ reviews before the next update**. Enjoy the read!

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**Chapter 10****: Let the Games Begin!**

"Hey MINT!" Ryou watched as the speaker ran over to the group of people waiting for them, her bright flaming hair bouncing up and down with almost as much vigor as the strawberry herself. Mint had been tapping her foot impatiently and staring down at her watch, but she brought her head up at the sound of the girl's voice.

The blue-haired Mew wasn't staring at the girl who was hopping happily along to make her way towards them though. The Lorikeet was staring straight at him. That's right, she was staring at the calm Ryou who stood silently aside, wearing just the _most _peculiar expression. It was that damn knowing smirk again. The one she had been flaunting around him lately as if gloating that she knew something he didn't.

The blond ignored the uncomfortable feeling of Mint's gaze, trying to look for something else to focus on. He turned his attention back to the redhead, not particularly because he wanted to but just because the strawberry somehow always easily caught his attention. He brought a hand against his forehead as he continued his thoughts despite the risk of another headache. And that was because, he reasoned to himself, that the strawberry was just the type of baka to attract attention with her idiotic behaviour.

The redhead lunged forward, ignoring the silent Ryou behind her as she cheerfully hopped onto her best friend. "Shopping!" she squealed in utter excitement. The blond watched her in disbelief. That girl was truly slow; why hadn't she been this excited when she was first invited? Was this the result of the delayed workings of her mind? Well, being an idiot did have its perks as Ryou was quite certain that the redhead had completely forgotten about her troubles.

"I LOVE YOU MINT!" The redhead hopped up once again, landing herself a few inches from the ground as she clung onto the girl who wore a strained expression. Then, suddenly becoming very serious, the strawberry turned her head to Mint, not yet releasing her from her death grip and asked: "You're paying for everything right?"

"You seem happy." A surprised blond heard someone whisper to him. Keiichiro had shuffled through the crowd and made his way toward Ryou. The oblivious Ryou hadn't even heard him approach, but he managed to hide the surprise in his lack of awareness, fighting off a groan as he considered whether this was an effect of hanging around the baka for too long. He turned around to glare at the brunet; how dare him for approaching him as if they were still friends.

"My oh my. No need to be like that Ryou. I was just making a comment about your smile." The brunet gave him a warm grin. "Besides, I haven't seen that in awhile." He spoke gently as a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes. Keiichiro could not resist the need to point out the simple fact to the clueless Ryou whom he was always watching out for despite knowing the stubborn blond's wishes, but he retreated back beside Lettuce and Zakuro after speaking, understanding that Ryou was in no mood to listen to him.

Smile? The confused blond brought a hand to his lips, tracing the corners that were slightly curved up. When had he started smiling? In fact, when did he _ever_ smile? He forced the sides of his mouth back down into a straight, unrevealing line.

"Me too, me too na no da!" By the time Ryou turned his attention back at the scene, Pudding had climbed on to Mint's back as well. He knew that look on her face – the strained expression of supreme annoyance. It was a look he often got with his strawberry. Wait did he say _his_ strawberry again?

"So why are you suddenly so cheerful?" Mint said to the hyper redhead who had just released her after shaking off the monkey girl, but the speaker clearly turned her gaze towards the slightly dazed Ryou.

He groaned slightly from behind the huddled crowd. He was always a bystander, choosing to watch rather than take part in anything, yet this annoying little bird somehow managed to change that lately ever since she began watching him more carefully.

"Hm?" Ichigo cocked her head to one side placing a finger thoughtfully against her cheek. "What are you talking about?"

"Ichigo," Mint replied exasperated as she rolled her eyes at the clueless girl. "Remember why we're here?"

"MINT!" Ryou hissed through his teeth, joining the huddle as he sent a piercing glare at the Lorikeet. Oh goodness. For all her act of being high and mighty, even the conniving girl had times when she slipped. This of course only made the genius feel even worse, since he had been already been bested by Mint on more than one occasion. "Don't remind her." He had made his way beside the strawberry's best friend, bringing a hand up beside her ears as he whispered the words.

Catching the redhead's gaze, he suddenly dropped his hand and stiffly looked away from Mint. The strawberry was giving him the strangest look, though he couldn't quite make out what it was.

But the look soon disappeared as the redhead began to speak, her expression dropping just slightly. "Oh...yeah." Ryou turned to glare at Mint, who only looked at him apologetically. No sooner did Mint do that, which in itself was very uncharacteristic of her, did she revert back to herself, eyes suddenly growing wide as she had caught on to something. She turned back to Ryou and whispered. "Why do you care?"

The redhead's expression seemed to drop just a bit more when Ryou saw her watching them. He was about to turn around and reply to the very nosy Mint that of course he wouldn't want the strawberry to be reminded – that was the whole purpose of this god forsaken trip to which he had agreed to despite his utter revulsion at the idea of shopping with girls. Wait no, that would not have been a good thing to say to Mint as she would only take it in the wrong way even if it was true. But why had he come?

Well of course he was _somewhat_ concerned over the poor girl, but that didn't suggest anything beyond that. Ryou was not a heartless guy after all and having seen the strawberry in her distressed state, he just _had_ to help her out because he was just that kind of person and _not_ because he was in love with her.

Oh right, and there was that whole issue with Keiichiro in which he must absolutely stop the strawberry. Yes, yes, yes. That had been it; to protect Keiichiro at all costs, even if it meant going shopping with _girls_. He shuddered just slightly at the thought, but was reminded of the pleasant breakfast he just had with the redhead. Okay, so maybe just _maybe,_ he did kind of enjoy it, but that didn't count as shopping. The image of redhead kicking the window was just a tad bit amusing, as he recalled the pile of pathetic girls on the ground. Certainly, none of them were half as spunky as his – no, _the – _strawberry. At this point, Ryou shook his head slightly at the idea of enjoying breakfast with the girl but to no avail since in the next instant, he recalled the brief sensation of the contact of her hands and gave a slight involuntary shiver.

"Shirogane?" Oh god. When did the baka get so close? He could feel his ears getting warm.

Ryou raised a finger against her forehead, flicking her away from him.

"OWIE!" She pouted as she covered her now red forehead with a hand. "And I was just going to ask you if you were cold too." She grumbled.

"Baka why the hell would I be cold? The mall has the heat blasted up on high." He snapped.

"Well cuz you couldn't have been shaking in fear right?" She crossed her arms as she glared at him. "And it was just the _oddest_ thing to see someone smiling and shivering at the same time."

Say what? Ryou stared at her. He was smiling again? Why the hell can't he even tell anymore? That idiot really had some incredible powers, spreading her baka-ness so quickly. It was like his body was moving on its own lately and his mind couldn't keep up with his actions, which in itself was difficult to believe considering he _was_ a genius. But alas, his quick-witted mind was slowing melting away into the idiocy of the infectious Baka Strawberry Syndrome.

And he was certain it would only get worse since they had just made a pact a few moments earlier. He lifted two hands to support his drooping head, pressing into his temples.

"You okay, Shirogane?" The voice of the redheaded Mew was uncertain, with a trace of concern. He turned towards the speaker, stirring slightly at the tone of her voice. Oh God, when'd she get so close again?

"J-Just dandy." He stumbled back a little while he attempted his sarcastic tone. Then recovering his calm demeanor, he stuck his foot out just slightly in front of the girl who walked beside him as they made their way after the others.

THUD!

"OW!" Ichigo was sprawled across the cold shiny floor of the mall, facing down. Keiichiro and the Mews who had been walking ahead, now turned around at the sound. The redhead scrambled to her feet as Lettuce ran over to help her while Pudding and Mint forcefully shoved Keiichiro towards the fallen girl. Zakuro made no motion to approach them as she remained calmly detracted from the utter madness that was her friends.

Ryou looked down at the glaring girl. So that had been a little mean, even for him, but it must be done. It would seem strange to the Mews if he had started getting along with the strawberry, which he still hadn't, and the only way for their plan to work on Mint was if they had acted perfectly normal in front of the others – normal in their usual arguments and antics. And while Ryou had told himself this was the reason he had intentionally tripped the baka, he honestly hadn't been thinking at all when he had done it; he only knew that he had to settle the strange and inexplicable erratic thumping of his heart.

Still, his point was valid – if he hadn't done something to get the strawberry screaming at him again, he might start acting _nice_ to her again. Ryou shuddered at the recollection of helping the redhead's uninjured foot at the diner, when his body had somehow once again taken over before he realized what he was doing. And of course, being the quick-witted man that he was, he managed to pass it off as practice for the upcoming plans for Mint.

Ryou's expression was blank as he watched Pudding push Ichigo right into Keiichiro, before the light orange-haired mew suddenly turned around and stuck her tongue at him.

"Um..." the redhead looked away from the brunet who stopped her fall, compliments of that monkey girl. Her furry cat ears and tail were quite visible, to the blond's extreme annoyance and to the Mews' satisfaction. "Sorry about that Kei-kun."

The blond winced at the name. Not in pain or anything, though he wouldn't admit it if it was, but just at the use of that disgustingly sappy speech.

Keiichiro had one hand wrapped around her waist and brought the other toward her face, sweeping away the stray strands of ruby hair that covered her reddened forehead. Then he lowered his head just slightly...

The Mews gasped in shock.

Ryou stared at them, mouth gaping despite himself as he fought off the uncontrollable twitch at his eye.

There they were, standing in the middle of the mall, right in front of the crowds of people passing by. Ichigo with her rosy cheeks and widened eyes as Keiichiro carefully planted a light kiss on her forehead.

Ryou clenched his hands. WHAT THE HELL did that annoying Keiichiro think he was doing to _HIS _girlfriend? Okay, okay, okay. He breathed out. His _pretend_ girlfriend, and only when they were in front of Mint, but still _girlfriend_ nonetheless. And what the hell did the strawberry think she was doing?

He stomped his way towards the two, ready to give Keiichiro a piece of his mind. He had warned him time and time again to leave the baka alone, but here he was, completely ignoring his warnings as he _kissed_ the girl.

The blond pulled Ichigo by the shoulder away from the brunet as he prepared to take a swing at the kind chef.

Luckily for Keiichiro, Pudding stepped in. She had managed to grab onto Ryou's back, as she tightly locked his arm around his neck. The blond hadn't even noticed the extra weight as he had been so focused on clobbering the man who stood in front of him.

"I _told_ boss man not to mess up our plans na no da!" She locked him in place with her arms and legs as she clung onto him. "Lettuce-neesan! Remember Mint's plan!" She whispered as the green-haired Mew walked past them, completely ignoring the struggling Ryou. He did, however, see a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks as she brushed by them.

He watched helplessly as Lettuce approached the pair, bringing Ichigo's hand into Keiichiro's. Ryou didn't particularly care what the Mews had planned, though he couldn't help but be curious. Whatever strange thoughts of the girl being _his _girlfriend -_-shudder shudder_-- earlier, was only a momentary lapse in judgement. After all, he had to protect Keiichiro. It was all about protecting Keiichiro.

"Why don't you two go ahead first, we'll meet up with you guys later." Lettuce said with a strained smile. Mint looked on with a smug expression of success on her face.

Pudding finally released the blond from her grip, as she felt his body go limp. His tensed muscles had long relaxed and it had become just a waste of her extraordinary martial arts skills to restrict someone so unresisting. Quite bored of the lack of challenge, Pudding hopped off but she left one more warning. "No more messing up the plans na no da!"

Ryou gave a slight sigh of defeat. Well, it really was too bad, but he could at least fall back on his own plans – they had yet to begin. He had thought it so perfect too, but his plans were really useless if they couldn't be carried out. Patience Ryou, patience and that time will come.

The blond followed the crowd of excited Mews as they tailed Ichigo and Keiichiro closely behind. This really was ridiculous. "This is stupid." He called after the Mews as they watched Ichigo and Keiichiro enter a very girly clothing store full of pink fluff and laces.

"SHHHH" The four heads turned to hush him. Even Zakuro who had said she would refuse to play a part kept herself from view, leaning casually against a large column that blocked her from being seen. He rolled his eyes at them. Considering they were all nearly graduating high school now, other than the young Pudding and an older Zakuro, he reasoned that maybe their plan should be feared. But he really did give them too much credit for such childish ideas. He sauntered after the pair inside, not in the least bit concerned about being discovered.

Until Pudding pulled him down next to her as he had almost reached the entrance of the store. She was hiding under the large display window of pink tops and cute skirts with her back pasted to the front of the store. "Keep a low profile na no da!" she hissed as many hushed whispers could be heard from the people passing by.

He rolled his eyes at the girl. Yep, _she _of all people should be the one saying that. "MINT" He called over to Mint and Lettuce who were similarly hidden under the window from Ichigo and Keiichiro, but clearly visible to the group of giggling girls passing by. "This is absolutely ridiculous." Ryou Shirogane, reduced to spying with a bunch of over enthusiastic girls. Shopping with them was bad enough, but publicly humiliating himself with their stupidity and childish plans were even worse.

He pushed away Pudding, sliding out of her grip and stood up, facing the window. The strawberry had grabbed a pile of clothes with the smiling Keiichiro. "Mint! Isn't all this snooping a little beneath you?" he asked, attempting to appeal to her pride. "This was your plan? To follow them around while crawling on the dirty floor like a petty thief?"

Mint shot up from the ground, very much aghast as if she hadn't even noticed. But she ran over to Ryou, and pulled his head down from the view of the window, suddenly noticing Ichigo's gaze. "Shh for a moment." She said as she knelt on the floor beside him.

"And Pudding will you stop that?" She barked at the girl who was tugging at the blond in her anger. Ryou watched the blue-haired girl. Maybe she hadn't thought this through as much as he had anticipated. He continued speaking, noting her facial expression as he realized that he was getting to her, even if she pretended not to be affected by his words.

"And what happened to the whole change in image? This is exactly like the old strawberry." He stared at Mint expectantly.

"Alright, alright." Finally, Mint stood up, rising into the view of the window from the inside. "Change in plan girls!" she announced, composure once again restored. As much as she hated to admit it, the blond had a good point. She was not one to be found on the floor, and while setting Ichigo and Keiichiro up was part of the reason for being at the mall, she really had intended to help the girl change her image. Lettuce stood up from the other side of the entrance, as did Pudding while Zakuro stepped out.

Ryou watched the Mint who stood before him suddenly brighten up. That couldn't be good. But at least this ridiculous spying was finally over. He would have stepped away from them and gone home earlier if not for the very annoying itch that kept him there. Despite the amount of embarassment that Ryou Shirogane, the cool and sexy college heart throb, had to endure, it was really better than to leave the aggravating buzzing alone. By god, he was going to smack that fly silly rather than sit around and do nothing.

He turned his attention to the store and watched the strawberry enter the fitting rooms. Mint shuffled at her feet, as she motioned for the Mews to enter the store without her. She needed some time on her own to think, telling them that she was going to the restroom.

"Ugh, me too." Ryou said to the other Mews after Mint had gone. This was the perfect chance, wasn't it? And it was about time to fight back...

When the other Mews had entered the store, he whipped out his cell phone and texted the girl. She was still in the fitting rooms; it was the one place she couldn't be watched.

Beep. Beep. Beep. "Oh, a text message!" Ichigo exclaimed from her locked dressing room.

IT'S TIME – it read. She scrolled down, to see the number and looked at the caller id. It was from 'Idiot Boss.'

She gave a slight sigh, just adjusting her hair tied up in a high pony tail. She had just managed to get into the clothes. She wore a red tank top beneath a well fitted black jean jacket and a thick black belt wrapped around the jacket at her stomach. She turned around to admire the cute plaid skirt that she wore and the knee high black heeled boots. Ichigo smiled at the reflection. Talk about change in image; she was sure her Mew friends would freak, especially Mint. Maybe she should paint her nails black next time...

Her lips curved up into a thin smirk – it didn't look too bad on her even if it seemed a little strange at first. She had somehow managed to dig these clothes from the very pink and girly store, and she was certain that her friends, whom she saw snooping around outside, was not expecting anything like this at all. Her smirk dropped slightly as she recalled the image of Mint reaching over towards the blond's golden hair, right before they disappeared from the window. She shook her head to chase away the memory, not quite understanding the agitating sensation she felt tugging at her chest.

Oh well, it was probably nothing to concern herself over, she thought as she roughly adjusted the belt by her waist, leaning it to one side. Finally satisfied, she turned around, ready to meet with her partner in crime outside the store, only to find a very silent lavender colored cat staring up at her with his blue eyes and his mouth parted. He had managed to slip under the ankle high gap between the door and the floor.

"A- " she was about to scream if not for the hand that covered her mouth. Alto had immediately transformed back into her blond boss. Exactly how long had he been there? And...and as a kitten looking up...Oh GOD. She wanted to cry! She was wearing a skirt; of all days to wear a skirt short enough to almost approach skanky, it had to be today. The day when a perverted little kitten decided to appear at her feet and utter absolutely no sound as he had stared up for only God knows how long.

She felt her face growing warm as the fuzzy ears expectantly popped out...and that damn tail! It was riding up her skirt and from the force that it was lashing around, she was positive that her pink laced panties were visible, though he had probably already seen it. "Ah- " She still managed to utter through Shirogane's stiff hands, her tail only lashing about even more wildly at the thought.

"Shhh baka." He was staring straight at her, blue eyes unflinching though his cheeks were a little rosier than usual. He had her pinned to the wall, hands still over her mouth as he whispered. "No screaming, you'll catch everyone's attention. We're going to sneak out of here without anyone knowing and we're going on with the plan, got it? We have to hurry. Mint will be by the bathroom, so we'll find some place around there." He heaved a slight sigh, uncertain whether she could really do this. "Now I know you said no kisses, but you need to transform into a cat." He suddenly saw her eyes flicker as she suddenly tensed up. "Relax, I'll transform into Alto. Just a light tap is enough okay?" When the redhead nodded at his words, Ryou relaxed his grip and finally dropped his hand from her to transform into Alto.

The redhead calmly picked up the cat, and looked away a little uneasily as she brought him to her lips. But this was no time to worry. It was about time she showed Mint who she was messing with.

POP! Enter scheming kitty cat Ichigo.

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Ahh I'm so terrible for not writing about the plans yet, but you'll get to know soon! Coming up next, Mint gets a bit of a shock and is left very very confused. Chapter 11: Payback!


	11. Getting a Little Dirty

Finally, the update! I'm sorry I couldn't post right after getting the reviews, but I was working on the other story, which is finally coming to an end! YAY! My first fanfic close to completion!

So, apparently this whole mall scenario is going to take longer than I thought. I hope you don't mind! I seem to have trouble moving the story along since I like to focus on specific scenes.

R & R! Anywho, enjoy the read!

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**Chapter 11****: Payback, Part I**

Getting a Little Dirty :X

"Damnit jerk. That's a little too close." The brightly blushing Ichigo seethed as she shifted around uncomfortably. After their escape from the store of all that was pink, fluffy and girly (how suitable for Shirogane's tastes the girl noted as she thought of his lovely cafe), the pair of felines had transformed immediately back to humans at the entrance of the shop. They had made a mad dash for the bathrooms from there, hoping that Mint was still around.

Ichigo currently found herself pinned against the wall between the entrance to both the female and male restrooms in a very compromising position. But the blond soon loosened his grip on her and turned around before speaking. "Eh, we don't have to go through with it if you don't want to." No, but it was worth it to get back at Mint.

"Oh, just get back here." She grabbed at his sleeve, forcing him to spin back around as she pulled the unsuspecting blue-eyed blond vigorously back towards her. _It's all pretend, it's all pretend!_ The nervous girl thought desperately to herself. Ichigo wrapped her arms tightly around his back pressing herself into his toned chest, ignoring her sudden shallow breaths as her heartbeat raced. Why did this pretend game have to feel so real?

He stared down at her, eyes widening with shock; his body was tense at the sudden contact, but no sooner had Ichigo noticed that the blond leaned in ever closer, nose brushing her fiery cheeks. "So strawberry panties, hmm?" the low rumble of his husky voice cooed. She looked away from his knowing smirk but felt his continued gaze pierce through her as she resisted the urge to let her ears pop out. She mildly heard footsteps in the distance... was that Mint? Goodness, she had almost forgotten.

"M-Mint's coming!" she whispered to the blond, who only rolled his eyes at her. "You're totally ruining the mood here strawberry." He said softly before blowing into her ear.

"W-What mood? There's no m-mood between us!" She cursed at herself for her stuttering tongue, revealing more than she had wanted to. "You're right, but I'll be sure to build one up" he said, voice hushed as strands of his hair tickled at her face, staring at her with such hungry eyes that they caused a sudden warm sensation to spread through her body.

"Just relax" he purred as he brought his cheek against her own, bringing a firm hand to stroke the back of her neck. "I-chi-go" He blew the syllables of her name carefully into her ears, enunciating each sound with the sexiest tone she had _ever_ heard. _It's pretend, just pretend!_ But by GOD, he really was incredibly hot when he tried to be. She tensed up more under his touch. It was just all too much to take in, even if her fingers itched to explore his body. Sure she thought she could act, but- but this really was impossible to just "act." Not when it felt soo incredibly...

_Goodnes__s Ichigo, stop that!_ She shook her head. No, she wasn't going to keep being the same silly girl who got nervous over everything. She was becoming a new and changed Ichigo and by her strawberry bells, she was going to step up and act!

"Look Ichigo, I don't bite." He cooed as she stared up at his hungry eyes. She stirred at his use of her name. It sounded _so _good to just hear him call her Ichigo. "Unless you want me to."

_It's pretend_, she fervently told herself despite giving in to the urge of allowing her hands to slide under his vest to explore the muscled abs and arches of his torso. She fought the urge to kiss him as she felt his breath on her neck. No, that was the agreement. No kissing and he hadn't once kissed her, but now he was touching the curve of her neck with the tip of his nose, slowly tracing his way down the base of her neck at the collarbone. She felt his hands stroking her legs as he slowly traced a single finger up her skirt.

"Eep." She unwillingly let out as she felt him suddenly bring his hand up her thigh and slip it onto her butt, giving a light squeeze. His fingers smoothed the lacy outline until his hand found its way to her wildly lashing tail. Ichigo was certain her heart was going to burst out of her chest. He allowed his hand to run through her tail, which suddenly stiffened at his touch and upon reaching the end, he brought it back against the base of the tail to keep it from view. Even his soft strokes against her cat-like features made her shiver involuntarily.

"Oh. My. God." She could hear Mint's voice, as she dug her face into the blond's chest, keeping hidden. Ryou was facing the wall so there was no way Mint could tell who they were.

"Keep going," he breathed harshly to Ichigo, whose ears were also hidden from view. He pressed against her even more, pinning her with more pressure against the wall.

"Get a goddamn room." Ichigo peeped over his shoulders, only managing to retreat a few seconds too late from Mint's sharp eyes, which had caught the sight of her ears.

"ICHIGO?" She heard her friend's voice screech in utter shock, and then heard her clear her throat to recover her smug attitude.

"Keep going" Ichigo heard the blond hum with his deep voice, breathless. Her body went slightly limp at the sound. It was just _so_ irresistibly sexy. She let out a soft whimper accidentally. Who was she kidding? She _wanted _him. She wanted him badly. To hell with it. He didn't have to tell her twice.

"No no no. It can't be. That is soo not Ichigo. She would _never _do something like that. It's not even her style. And she wouldn't wear clothes like that." Mint muttered incoherently to herself as she brought a hand to her unsteady head. "But...weren't those cat ears?"

Mint turned around to get another glance. "Maybe I'm just seeing things? I didn't see a tail." She looked at the pair groping at each other, very much disgusted at the excessive PDA. That was truly something she could go on _without_ seeing today, though the couple seemed to be enjoying themselves very much. The uneasy Mint immediately turned back around, cursing to herself silently for giving in to curiosity by turning around.

Ichigo felt his arm wrap around her waist, pulling her in tightly as he gave a light nibble on her ear. She purled at the simple yet _incredible_ sensation. She brought her hand up ruffling through his neat golden hair as her other hand continued to press against his firmly toned body.

"N-no friggin way that could be I-Ichigo." Said a very red Mint before she turned away from them to walk off.

The redhead suddenly felt the blond pull away, hand releasing her hip as the other pulled out from the back of her shirt. Her body screamed for him to come back; oh how it longed to feel the warmth of his skin after it had a touch. Even as he brought his head away from the curve of her neck, she felt the surface of her skin tingling at the blissful sensation that still lingered.

He took a step back, and much to Ichigo's surprise and embarrassment, her arms were still trapped under his shirt.

"Uhhh..." she managed to utter awkwardly as he raised an eyebrow at her. Finally, she took a step forward to slip her arms out.

"That was horrible." The blond stated flatly, though his ears were glowing red and his cheeks was adorned with a rosy pink. "I was doing all the work! Geez, I thought that with all that time you spent with Masaya, you might've had some idea about what to do." She suddenly saw him draw back a little, though she had not caught on.

Rather, in all her flaming red glory, cheeks as red as her strawberry hair, she fumed back. "Well I'm _sorry _I'm not as experienced as you, but it's not like me and Masaya ever did anything like that..." Ichigo looked away from him, a little embarrassed.

"What are you talking about? Experienced? I've never done that before." He looked at her, voice completely serious though he was smirking.

"W-what? No way." Ichigo had accidentally let the words slip, but soon covered her mouth. She really shouldn't be feeding his arrogance even more. Though she was honestly surprised; considering how he always had girls throwing them at his feet, she had thought that he must have been with quite a few by now to her agitation.

He was grinning at her. Ugh, so he had heard her.

The blond brought a hand to comb through his messy hair and gave a light sigh. "Geez Ichigo, you've got no sex appeal at all. That wasn't remotely enjoyable." He was already walking away from her and back towards the store.

"W-what?! I have _plenty_!" she screamed after him quite infuriated by his comment. Her ears and tail were no longer in place. "And don't think that I liked it at all either!" She lied through her teeth.

"Pftt. Do you even know what sex appeal _means_?" He said as they walked back to the shop. "I have sex appeal, you don't. I mean, take for one, my enormous fan club." He smirked.

"O-Of course I do you idiot...and I could _soo _have a fan club of my own." She screamed, absolutely fuming at the insult.

"Prove it." He sneered as the sign of the clothing shop came into view. "Try to be a _little_ more convincing next time strawberry? Mint almost didn't buy it this time." With that, he transformed into Alto.

What? There was a next time? The redhead shuddered at his words, though her heart leapt just the slightest. Well, she had known the plans from the beginning, and it didn't involve stopping so soon. Ichigo picked him up, and though she glared at him all she wanted, she still brought the self-satisfied looking kitten to her lips. Ick. Furry lips. So this is what Shirogane had to deal with all this time.

Mint had entered the shop some time ago, which allowed for kitty Ichigo to sneak back into the dressing room without being caught at the entrance. But only when both she and Alto had managed to transform back into humans did they realize something. She was still wearing those clothes that Mint had seen her in. So after her smug boss was shooed out of the dressing room as a cat, Ichigo hurriedly tried on a pink top with a cute black kitten at the center and slipped into a pair of jeans. Her heart was thumping so loudly that she was sure everyone in the fitting rooms could hear.

"Ichigo?" She heard Mint call, signalling for her to show her what she was wearing. With her back leaning against the door, she pressed her hands to her lungs as she attempted to catch her breath. Hopefully Alto had gotten out without getting caught and successfully transformed back. But their narrow escape wasn't the only reason she was left breathless.

When the redhead stepped out, her best friend only shook her head in disapproval. "No, no, no. This isn't a change in style at all. It's time to go somewhere else. All they have here is your normal clothes. I thought we were trying to change your image." Mint said exasperated, with the red in her cheek still lingering.

After ordering Ichigo to change back into her own clothes, she asked her if there was anything she wanted. The redhead, not being the complete idiot that her boss often claimed her to be, said there was nothing, even though she really did like that outfit Mint had seen her in before. So as the Mews and Keiichiro left the store, Ichigo slipped by the counter to secretly buy her new set of clothes herself.

She had just reached out her hand to pay the cashier, when she felt her arm pulled aside and saw a gold colored credit card shoved into the cashier's hand. "Let me cover it strawberry."

She turned to her right, glancing at the blond, a little confused. "Besides," he mindlessly brought his hand to comb through his hair "You didn't look half bad in it." Ichigo stared at him, just catching the red tint on the tip of his ear before he turned around to face her. This guy really was bipolar. Hadn't he just called her completely unattractive before?

"Thank you." She said with mixed feelings as he snatched the bag of freshly folded clothes before she could get to it. She followed him out of the store, heart still thumping erratically at the thought of what she had done with him. It was so _dirty_. How on Earth had he convinced her to agree to this? She felt her cheeks grow warm, probably now bright pink, as she recalled the very brief few minutes of resistance before she had consented so easily.

Her cheeks only grew redder as she continued her thoughts, her skin tingled at the memory of his touch. Ichigo shook her head violently – that was of course, right before he had said she had absolutely no sexual appeal at all. Her thoughts returned to his insult as she winced at the words. She just couldn't shake it off. Who was _he_ to tell her that? That idiot didn't know what he was talking about.

So he needed some convincing? Oh hell, he's getting it. Just he wait, she would definitely win the next round.

Her eyes narrowed a bit as she stepped out of the clothing shop to meet her friends. She was however, met with a very pleasant surprise.

"Are you sure she was still in the fitting room?" Mint had her back turned towards the pair now leaving the store as she wildly waved her arms around. "Cuz I _swear_ it really looked like Ichigo. I mean, I couldn't really see, but I _thought_ I saw cat ears. She was totally sucking face with some guy. Really! I think she has some secret boyfriend or something. And they way they were just all over each other, it was totally si- " Mint stiffly turned her head around upon seeing the red-faced Lettuce point behind her, hearing Pudding hush her like mad, and Zakuro whose eyes darted from Mint to the listeners behind her. "silly Ichigo." She turned around to face the smiling redhead and smirking Ryou. Oh, this was good. Things were going according to plan. Was Mint finally getting a taste of what it meant to mess with the leader of the Mews?

And yes, Ichigo Momomiya _can _act. So she simply kept calm and pretended to look clueless when she asked Mint. "What are you talking about?" Her tone was sweet and innocent, not in the least suspicious for her.

"Uhuhuhuh..."Mint stepped back slightly from them, as she brought her hand awkwardly to her head. "Let's, uh go to the next store, shall we?"

"See. I told you that was stupid!" Pudding told Mint as she hurried off on her own. "Besides, Ichigo-neesan only has eyes for Mr. Chef." She hopped up and down. Under normal circumstances, Mint would have taken this opportunity to once again get Lettuce to help Ichigo and Keiichiro link arms, but for some reason, the blue-haired girl only grumbled slightly, steadying her head with two hands as she sped away. She just didn't have the energy for it at the moment.

Meanwhile, Ryou who would have normally been supremely agitated by Pudding's comment simply slipped his hands casually into his pockets, feeling pretty good about himself. Besides, between him and Keiichiro, he had already gone further with the strawberry, not that he was keeping track. In fact, he had gone further with her than even her three year long boyfriend. But of course he wasn't particularly happy over that fact; he was just feeling good that he had managed to take away some of Mint's self-satisfaction along with time away from the baka and his ex-best friend together.

"What's that Ichigo?" Zakuro pointed to the pink paper bag Ryou held in his hand. Ichigo turned her attention to the bag. She shifted her gaze towards the ground, letting her ruby bangs hide her expression. She could feel her cheeks getting warm again, and desperately hoped that Zakuro wouldn't notice.

"Why are you asking her? It's mine of course." Her blue-eyed boss stated bluntly. She turned around to give him a look of thanks, only to have his attention caught by the very sharp idol. "You buy girl clothes?!" Zakuro had stopped in place, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at the blond. "Never took you for a cross-dresser..." she muttered under her breath, to which Ichigo stifled her laughter.

"Pft. How else do you think Keiichiro and I come up with the designs for your uniforms?" He replied matter-of-factly, completely ignoring her comments. Ichigo turned to him, expression brightening at his quick-witted thinking. Impressed, she couldn't help but gape at him.

Was that red she saw on his cheeks?

"Stop staring baka." He flicked her forehead as soon as he noticed her gaze. Ryou barely noticed the hurried footsteps of a certain chef. Keiichiro ran over to Ichigo in the very next moment, settling himself right between the two as he snatched Ryou's wrist and spoke.

"Will you stop that already? Stop acting like such a child and start treating Ichigo like a gentleman should." Keiichiro's voice was steady and free of malice, but he stood firm. He dropped Ryou's hand and proceeded to rest one arm along the redhead's shoulder, leading her ahead towards Mint, Lettuce and Pudding.

Ryou watched the pair walk away, the once annoying itch was now much less severe. He failed to notice the pair of wolf eyes following him as a smile crept up on his lips. He was certain that he was caught too deeply in the strawberry's idiocy, now that he found that his mouth preferred its curved position rather than the regular straight emotionless line whenever he was with that baka.

Keiichiro may have won this battle, but not the war. Ryou Shirogane wasn't going to give up that easily.

* * *

This was originally going to be a really long chapter concluding the mall scene, but I decided to just continue with it in the next few chapters so that there can be more interaction between Ichigo and Keiichiro along with the other Mews. Plus, the I+K thing hasn't really been going, so I thought I'd stick it in there for competition later on ;) There are some other things I want to include too...

What'd you think? Honestly, I was about to take out the whole groping scene because I thought maybe it was a little sudden so it might have seemed out of character. But, it's all for the sake of the plan! And only something so shocking would totally throw off the usually calm Mint.

Meanwhile, I am considering starting yet another TMM fanfic with Ichigo and Ryou (Who else?). I know the whole body switching thing might be a little played out, but I thought I might give it a try. It just sounds like a lot of fun to write about.


	12. A Slip in the Plan

Finally an update! Sorry I kept you guys waiting, but I finally finished my first fanfic ever! Woot woot woot! Check it out if you haven't already. It's called **Starlight**

Anyway, at the rate this is going, it seems as if the entire story will be focused on their visit at the mall. I have the whole event planned out, now I just need to write it up. But it seems awfully long, to much to cover in a few chapters.

Oh well, sorry for the inconsistency in the passing of time in the story, but I'll try to make it as entertaining as possible.

**5+ reviews before the next update!** Enjoy the read.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Payback Part II**

**A Slip in the Plan**

The food court of the mall bustled with sounds of excited people, overwhelming the voices of the pair that stood close together, almost touching. A girl with masses of red hair tied into pigtails leaned against the wall to the entrance of the female restroom while the other figure, a lean blue-eyed blond stepped in front of her, blocking the girl from view as he nearly touched her. The group of Mews and company had dispersed to buy lunch agreeing to meet at a table Pudding had stayed behind to save. Despite the growing number of people found casually eating and talking in the large expanse of the hall, Ichigo and Ryou were safely hidden; their presence was unnoticeable.

"So why haven't you and Aoyama done this before?" Ryou asked rather inconsiderately as he positioned himself around Ichigo once again for only the fifth time today. His signature smirk was strewn across his face; his amusement was clearly visible.

The redheaded girl shifted slightly, a little curious over why he had suddenly brought this up so much later, though more so uncomfortable in her position. She observed the blond surrounding her, ready to grab onto her once Mint returned. He wasn't touching her yet; it was just one of the added clauses to the plan. After the first two instances of nearly turning completely into a cat, Ichigo drew up new terms if they were to continue; this included delaying any sort of bodily contact with each other until the very last moment. They were just waiting for Mint to exit the bathroom; she really had seemed to develop a nervous bladder as the day progressed.

But who could blame her? Ichigo was quite certain that her recent excessive visits to the restroom had to do with Mint's multiple 'hallucinations' at seeing the same couple supposedly making out over and over again throughout the day.

"Just because." She held her breath, trying to avoid touching his hovering hands.

"Sh-shirogane?" She let out a small whimper. His face had suddenly neared hers as he propped himself against the wall, tired of looking like a perverted idiot about to attack.

Ryou rolled his eyes at her. "Just relax will you? I'm not even touching you now." He let out a sigh. "Is it really all that bad?"

"YES!" She screamed a bit too loudly. But she was surprised to see the sudden drop in his normally blank expression. It wasn't often that her cold boss revealed any emotions, and now she was feeling just a slight bit guilty watching his eyebrows furrow together. It _really_ wasn't all that bad- he wasn't at all that abominable and it wasn't like he was some totally disgustingly ugly deformed monster. No, not at all; he was drop-dead _gorgeous_. In fact, it was actually _quite_ enjoyable to pretend with him; something she absolutely hated to admit. Besides, it was so _dirty_ – how could she allow herself to _like_ it?! Especially with him.

Despite her thoughts, her conscience took over. She hadn't screamed at him because she hated what they were doing together, only that she hated herself for liking it. "Shi-Shiro-Ryou." She finally settled on what to call him. Her eyes softened just a bit. "It's just that I've never done anything like _this_ before," she shivered. "And I feel like I'm betraying myself."

Ichigo watched her boss stir ever so slightly at the use of his name and then turn around to face her after she spoke. He raised an eyebrow at her, clearly interested.

"I mean, I was with Masaya for three years, _THREE_. And not once did we get that far. It wasn't like that with him. It was just always sweet, loving and caring." She paused for a moment, a little surprised at her ease with the subject. "We were romantic you know; the sweet dates, simple walks together, friendly talks." She failed to notice the blond wince as she spoke.

She kept talking, her body now much more relaxed under Ryou's clenched fists. "There was just never any..." she paused as she searched for the right word "..._need_ for something like that." Ryou's expression immediately lit up, not that the redhead was paying attention. "I guess our love was just strong enough without having to indulge in something so ...vile." Ichigo gave a slight shudder, showing her clear distaste for the idea of the physical contact.

"But now I'm doing something so totally disgusting with _you_." _And liking it._ She scrunched her face at the blond and caught herself before she said too much. Even if what she had voiced might do the very opposite of what she intended – that is, to cheer him up—she would definitely never admit to something so heinous. (Though she could not understand why she would feel a need to cheer him up at all.)

"HAHAHA" the blond chuckled carelessly to her surprise. Ichigo shifted her gaze from staring into space, to the amused expression on her boss's face. His moist lips caught her attention as he parted them slowly.

"Ichigo." The simple sound of her name made her jump. He brought a hand to her chin and slid the other hand from the wall to her shoulder. "It wasn't that there was never a _need_ for it. You just didn't have the _desire_." She felt his fierce gaze boring into her, as a sudden knot formed in her throat at his words. She tried to force the knot down, refusing to meet his eyes. And then she heard those familiar footsteps. Mint.

"Oh. My. God, is that _them_ again?" Mint let out a shrill voice, very much unlike her usual calm. "Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting." She spat, almost tempted to pull the bodies apart though actually too appalled to do so. She brought a hand to her forehead and after knocking it against her palm, looked up to see if the hallucination was still there.

Ichigo spun around away from Mint, just in time to catch the intense depth of those fervent azure eyes staring straight at her without once flinching. She reveled in their depths and wanted to sink in them, to lose herself to them forever. She felt his hand stroke against the side of her arm. It was expected, but no less startling than the first time she had received the sudden shock of the contact rushing through her body. Ichigo's eyes darted away from his; the longer she stared into them, the stronger the urge to kiss the living breath out of him was. In the next moment, Ryou gingerly lifted her chin causing her to once again lose herself to his gaze. He never moved his eyes away from her, even when slipping his hand to the back of her neck as he inched toward her face.

"Stop phasing out _Ichi_." He growled. His husky voice rumbled through her body.

Her heartbeat shot up, thumping against her chest uncontrollably. Damn it all. No matter how many times they did this, she would _never_ get used to it. Ichigo hugged her chest protectively as she shut her eyes tight to keep them from staring into those searching eyes. She had prepared herself for this moment, wearing newly bought stockings that completely covered her legs under her pants and even went as far as considering wearing gloves as they put on this act, though in the end she had decided against it. She was able to pass it all off as a part of her new image. Sure her baggy new clothes weren't exactly appealing and what dork in their right mind would wear those ugly thick stockings under their pants, but it was a new image nonetheless. (Definitely _not_ at all approved by Zakuro or Mint, both of whom would kill yours truly if this author hadn't mentioned it.)

"No no no, Mint. You're just seeing things again Mint. There's more than one blond guy in Tokyo." Ichigo suddenly heard her best friend talking to herself. "...who happens to wear the same exact black vest." Mint spun away from them "Okay okay. So what if that _is_ Shirogane? There's no way that the girl could be Ichigo." She turned around back at the pair. "Besides, the girl doesn't even look that interested anyway." Mint was about to walk away, having settling the dispute with herself when she suddenly froze in place realizing what she had just said. "Oh. MY GOD! A girl who's _not_ that interested in him?!THAT REALLY MIGHT BE ICHIGO!" She screeched, not quite sure whether she should run away or continue gaping at the couple.

"You're not being very _convincing_." He purred the words to the nervous girl, with an expected smirk in place when he had heard Mint's words. (Yes, bow down to Ryou Shirogane's utter sexiness.)

Oh? She knew it was probably true at this moment, but it was still offensive. Her eyes shot open, as she forced herself to drop her arms to her side. He had said the same thing that time too, hadn't he? Right after he had mentioned how she had no sex appeal at all.

Ichigo narrowed her eyes at him, a little angry. She couldn't understand why it had bothered her _so_ much to hear that from _him_ specifically. "So you need some convincing?" she suddenly whispered, with all previous thoughts of inhibition forgotten. Her eyes shimmered over with a look that suddenly caused the blond to take a step back.

"Come _here_." She cooed, pulling the sides of his black vest toward her. She felt his muscles tense under her grip as she wrapped her arms snugly around him. She fought the need to scream in embarrassment and exhilaration, but she pulled his hips forward suddenly, almost crushing herself in the impact. It was all an act anyway, and she was only proving to him that she was indeed, a very, _very_ convincing actress. She was beginning to hate that word.

She leaned forward, away from the wall as she pressed her chest into him, causing him to take another step back.

"O-oh Geez." Mint watched on, wide-eyed, before looking away as her cheeks grew crimson. "T-that girl is in _heat_. M-my goodness. Why don't I ever learn? Just ignore them Mint. Ignore them." Ichigo watched as her nervous friend stormed away, still grumbling and muttering quietly to herself.

She was still wrapped in Ryou's grip, still pressing against the faltering blond. Ichigo didn't let go; she was enjoying this too much – his reaction of course, and not the contact of his skin that sent a chill down her spine. Then leaning ever closer to the blond, she could feel his warm cheeks as she brushed across them, bringing her lips closer to his ears. "Taking a step back doesn't seem very convincing either." She gave his ear a light nibble, before pulling away.

Ichigo pulled away with a sly smile on her face as she watched him stare at her, mouth gaping with a rosy complexion. She had finally won one round against Ryou Shirogane.

But the thought came too soon since the blond regained his composure in the next moment. With his arms still along her waist and the back of her head, he pushed forward, pinning Ichigo against the wall, knocking out a slight breath from her.

"Feeling a little _breathless_?" He lulled her with a deep sexy tone. "Or do you need some more convincing?" He placed his forehead against hers, and let the tip of their noses meet. Ryou broke away from the touch, brushing his tongue against his lips to wet them before speaking again. Ichigo couldn't help but stare at the warm moist lips, remembering the subtle taste of vanilla. She recalled the electric sensation shooting through her body when they had kissed as humans for the first time, just that morning only a few hours ago.

"Is my cute little koneko blushing?" His breath tickled at her face causing her to inch slightly forward as she stared at his lips. He stepped away from her, smirking as smugly as ever as he left her dazed. She continued to stare, completely stupefied.

Blush? For him?! "I-Impossible! Get back here you jerk!" She ran after him, noticing a strange sensation against her leg and hearing a slight tinkling.

"Why don't you try getting rid of those ears and tail first?" He called to her, already walking out into the open.

She spun around. "T-tail?!" she shrieked when she finally saw her tail lashing about that had managed to wriggle through the top of her pants. "DAMNIT SHIROGANE!" she screamed as she raised her head to find that the blond had disappeared. Why did he always tease her like this? And just when she thought she had gotten him too! One question echoed through her mind more loudly than the others though: _Wasn't he about to kiss her?_ She shook her head; it was just another typical act of Shirogane to tease her. Not that she was disappointed.

Ichigo grumbled quietly to herself. It seemed as if the normal Shirogane was back, and though she mourned the fact that he was probably done being lenient to her at work, the redhead also felt a strange relief. Her boss had been acting strange lately, excluding all the little tricks they played on Mint, but now she was certain that he was okay. Not that it concerned her anyhow, but she could not deny a sudden weight on her chest being lifted, though that might have just been her recovery from the moment of breathlessness.

She gave a light sigh, admitting defeat to the blond. "Oh well, there's always the next round. I'll end that pompous little act of his." Ichigo stepped out into the food court and scanned the area for some delectable lunch.

By the time Ichigo found her way to the table, reserved by a very impatient Pudding who had only agreed under the condition that she be given as much candy as she could eat, everyone except for her blond boss had arrived.

Pudding was chattering away in excitement at a very red cheeked Lettuce. Ichigo mildly heard Mint interject about something along the lines of setting the green-haired Mew up when she had approached them with a huge pile of food, which would explain why the redhead had found their location through hearing her group of friends, rather than seeing them past the mountain of sustenance.

"Pig."

The sudden sound of the familiar voice made Ichigo jump, causing her to almost drop her tray if not for the arms that steadied her at the very next moment.

"Kei-kun!" she turned at the figure who caught her, forgetting her anger at the source of the voice that now brushed past her.

"Hold it Ryou."

"Is that the wind?" Yep, real mature of him. Even if the agitating buzzing was much less severe, he was still in no mood to make amends with Keiichiro.

"A gentleman should speak kinder words to a lady." The brunet lifted Ichigo's tray from her hands and placed them on the tabletop right beside himself. The redhead turned to Keiichiro and gave him a brief look of thanks.

"Strange. There's this annoying buzz I seem to hear." Ryou said mildly not quite concerned before Mint pulled him to sit beside her. The blond shifted just the slightest under her grip at his elbow upon seeing the redhead lift an eyebrow at him.

"Shirogane, no interruptions!" She whispered sharply to him. "And stop fidgeting."

Mint watched the scene, quite proud of her work. In the end, most of her planning was not needed, as she noticed Keiichiro naturally approached Ichigo without the extra push. Likewise, Ichigo had seemed to stay by the brunet through the trip. They had scanned through several shops already – about six or seven clothing stores, three shoe shops, and two perfume shops; each time, Keiichiro had been right beside the redhead, offering his opinions and Ichigo had already modeled several outfits in front of him. Mint looked down by her feet to count the bags that were evidence of the tiring trek from today. All Ichigo's. Yes, each and every one of the 21 bags. She cursed herself silently for not bringing along an army of servants to carry them. For a supposedly depressed girl, she wasn't shopping like one. Really, she was beginning to suspect that Ichigo had planned this all along.

Ichigo laughed mildly at the dazed Keiichiro, who stared at the now nearly empty plate (other than a lone pizza crust) she had downed in only a few minutes. Mint glared at the giddy girl. Okay, so she really did want her best friend to feel better, but why did it annoy her so much that the redhead was _this_ happy? It was like she had completely forgotten about the supposed love of her life already and made Mint completely waste her money as she mercilessly took advantage of the shopping spree.

Keiichiro was looking at Ichigo unblinking, gaze intent on the girl. He picked up a napkin and lifted it to her face. His expression was kind and warm as the now transformed cat girl readily accepted his gesture.

"Thanks Kei. You know, you really do remind me of Masaya." She stared up into his reassuring eyes as he looked down kindly at her, placing one arm gently on her shoulder and pulling her into a hug.

Mint shot up at the words. That in itself was like a confession for Ichigo – the ULTIMATE compliment. And it seemed as if Ichigo was completely over that twit. But how come the blue-haired girl wasn't content? Hadn't she successfully cheered up her friend, helped her forget about her ex-boyfriend, _and _paired her up with a worthy candidate?

In fact, Mint was becoming just a little bored; it wasn't at all a challenge when the two seemed to prefer each other's company. She turned to look at Shirogane, expecting the usual threatening snarls and sharp glares towards the brunet. After all, her whole claim to "support" the blond was really so that she could entertain herself. She had long suspected that getting Ichigo and the chef together would be too easy; adding a little jealous Shirogane to the mix was the perfect way to make up for that. Riling up a supposedly emotionless guy was fun in itself. It wasn't that she was being evil, intentionally messing with his feelings. But in all honesty, she could not imagine her best friend harboring any feelings for the blond. Of course, she'd support Ichigo and whomever it was that she could love, and at that moment – it had seemed to be Akasaka-san.If it was between supporting Ichigo or Shirogane, there was no doubt Mint would pick her bestfriend.

Mint stared long and hard at the silent blond beside her, waiting patiently. Maybe teasing him really was the highlight of her day, after she could no longer do it to the fragile heartbroken Ichigo.

Ryou remained as calm as ever, not even looking at the pair.

And then Mint knew. Something was up. Something had to be up.

The blue-haired Mew dropped her head against the palm of her two hands, feeling the oncoming headache. Just as suddenly, the images of the strange couple that haunted her throughout the day flashed in her mind. It seemed that no matter where she went, she would see them groping, touching, grabbing. Totally and completely disgusting. And it was absolutely absurd how the pair seemed to look like Ichigo and Shiroga-

Mint quickly took a hand and brushed at the empty air, swiping away the idea before she could complete the thought. As if Ichigo would be interested in the boss she completely hated. Even if she did, which was in itself a ridiculous thought because she already had Akasaka-san, she was not the kind of girl to do _that_ in public. And even Shirogane had his limits. Well, maybe.

That blond in the vest really _did_ look like him though. No, no, no. Just purely coincidence. All blond haired guys that age with that body type would look the same from the back. And that blond just happened to be wearing those same clothes. It wasn't unheard of to have people wear the same outfit on the same day, and that's just what happened. She rolled her head a little, leaning against her hand that was propped up against the table before hearing Lettuce speak.

"Mint, are you okay?" Her voice was concerned. She sat across from Mint on the table and they had both long finished their meals. Ryou simply stared at the girl suffering from a headache with a small smirk.

"Yeah, I'm just great." She lied, groaning, as thoughts of the possibility no, the probability that the pair was most likely her best friend and boss crept in her mind. Who else would have cat features? Really, how many blond foreigners were there in Tokyo? It had to be them. It just had to.

But wasn't Ichigo getting along perfectly well with the brunet?Mint shook her head violently. Even so, it just had to be them, even if it made no sense. It was truly impossible for anyone else to have those cat features.

Mint groaned again, she found that she couldn't say anything to the Mews at all. No one had listened the past five times she brought it up; the two had witnesses each time. Everyone said it wasn't possible because the pair was with them all along. Besides, she couldn't bear to have Zakuro look down at her with those eyes of total disbelief again.

"I think... I just need a bathroom break." Mint said standing up, keeping a hand on the seat to steady her spinning head.

"Again?!" Ichigo and Ryou had said in unison, a little too loudly as they looked at each other alarmingly. Catching themselves, they looked away.

Mint was quick to notice their secretive glance though. They were in it together, those two conniving little felines. She left without a word to sort through her thoughts; but what if they really hadn't planned anything, and they were _actually_ together? Mint gave a slight shudder as she made her way for the tenth time, to the bathroom.

"Whatever Shirogane, I'm tired." Ichigo announced after Mint left, slumping down lower from her seat, while the rest watched on without a clue. Keiichiro brought a hand on her head, patting her gently. She always did get sleepy after a meal; maybe it was a part of her cat genes.

"Really strawberry? Cuz I can go on forever with this." He sneered, eyes narrowing just a bit at Keiichiro.

"Ew. Perv." With her energy quickly regained, she picked up a half-eaten pizza crust to chuck at the blond, who easily ducked aside.

"Baka, you missed." He replied coolly, his arms crossed against his chest.

"I'm not a baka!" She shot up, glaring at the blond seated at the next table as she pumped her fists.

"I didn't know you guys got along so well, na no da!" Pudding hopped up between the two tables, keeping Ichigo from taking a swing at her boss. Lettuce blushed at those words.

"We're not!" They screamed once again in unison.

They were back to their usual bickering, and it had seemed to the others that nothing had changed at all, even if they had no idea what the two were talking about.

Pudding approached the unsuspecting blond—who had seemed to recover his rightful role of being the one who teased, and not the one who was teased at—and proceeded to whisper into his ear. "Things are totally different if you like Ichigo-neesan, na no da!"

"I DON'T" He snarled once again losing his cool, as Ichigo continued to rail at him without noticing his lack of attention.

"Okay!" The monkey girl replied cheerfully. "Even better na no da. I don't have to choose whether to support you or Akasaka-oniisan then." Ryou's glared at the girl who hopped along happily away; he was just about to grab the collar of her shirt but was interrupted by Ichigo's incoherent screams. He covered his ears at her screechy high-pitched whines as he rolled his eyes at her.

Meanwhile, the other Mews resumed their plans, pushing the fuming girl a little too harshly back onto her seat causing her to knock into the waiting Keiichiro. The brunet easily caught the nervous girl as she shot up and quickly bent down to apologize. What the hell was _his _girlfriend being so nervous for? Cross that, his _pretend_ girl friend. Ryou watched the scene with discomfort. Damn bug. It seemed as though he had only slapped it half dead. It still managed to buzz around.

He'd have to take care of that soon.

"HEY BITCH!" Whoa. He didn't think it was possible, but another even more shrilly voice appeared. The speaker had short brown hair. "WATCH WHERE YOU THROW THINGS." She had one hand on her hip and in her other hand, she held the bitten pizza crust, flinging it back and forth in annoyance as she screamed. She turned around, suddenly catching a glance at Ryou.

"Oh," she remarked with a hand over her open mouth. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two figures: the redhead and the blue-eyed blond. Finally realizing something, she spoke with the sweetest tone she could manage, "I-I'm quite sorry about that Shirogane-san. I didn't mean to disturb your girlfriend."

"WHAT?!" The Mews and Keiichiro said in unison though Ryou had the most subtle smile on his face, despite the sudden shock. Mint's voice, however, was the loudest of them all as she had just made her way back from the bathroom.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" She screeched, her eyes wide.

* * *

Personally, I didn't like this chapter too much. I couldn't include everything I wanted to for this chapter because I ended up adding a new part at the beginning. And since I was trying to stuff everything into it, I could not seem to work in my typical humor.

Oh well, let me know what you think.


	13. Crazy Girls

Finally an update! It took a little longer than I had planned, but here it is. Enjoy the read! It's getting harder to write the story, so once again, I'm requesting **5+ reviews before the next update**.

Also, I've just realized that you readers might have a hard time remembering what happened in previous chapters, so I think from now on, I'll include either a snipet from the last chapter, or write a brief summary before starting the new chapter.

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_End of chapter 12_

_Meanwhile, the other Mews resumed their plans, pushing the fuming girl a little too harshly back onto her seat causing her to knock into the waiting Keiichiro. The brunet easily caught the nervous girl as she shot up and quickly bent down to apologize. What the hell was __his girlfriend being so nervous for? Cross that, his __pretend girl friend. Ryou watched the scene with discomfort. Damn bug. It seemed as though he had only slapped it half dead. It still managed to buzz around._

_He'd have to take care of that soon._

_"HEY BITCH!" Whoa. He didn't think it was possible, but another even more shrilly voice appeared. The speaker had short brown hair. "WATCH WHERE YOU THROW THINGS." She had one hand on her hip and in her other hand, she held the bitten pizza crust, flinging it back and forth in annoyance as she screamed. She turned around, suddenly catching a glance at Ryou._

_"Oh," she remarked with a hand over her open mouth. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two figures: the redhead and the blue-eyed blond. Finally realizing something, she spoke with the sweetest tone she could manage, "I-I'm quite sorry about that Shirogane-san. I didn't mean to disturb your girlfriend."_

_"WHAT?!" The Mews and Keiichiro said in unison though Ryou had the most subtle smile on his face, despite the sudden shock. Mint's voice, however, was the loudest of them all as she had just made her way back from the bathroom._

_"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" She screeched, her eyes wide._

**Chapter 13: Crazy Girls**

.:Obsessed Fangirls, Plotting Mews and anyone of the female gender:.

Ryou remained silent, his eyes focused solely on Keiichiro as his lips curved up in a smirk. "Take that you stupid fly!"...is what he would have liked to say. However, seeing how that was extremely uncharacteristic of such an emotionless guy, he did no such thing but only continued to stare in silence and self-satisfaction.

"AS IF-" the redhead began to fume. Her words were interrupted by her Ichigo gracefulness, as she found herself falling backwards, having slipped from a careless step while she withdrew from the scene. Her eyes were shut tight as she waited for the impact of the hard floor.

"Ichigo!" Keiichiro was quick to respond. He immediately jerked up from his seat, not a moment too late as the clumsy girl felt a pair of warm arms against her back and a hand pressed against the side of her arm. She looked up at his concerned expression as she forced down a gulp. That was the second time within ten minutes Keiichiro had caught her. Why was it that she always found him around whenever she needed him? Ichigo tried to keep her cat ears from popping out, though the squeals from the other Mews were not at all helping with the situation.

The girl with the pizza crust still in hand watched dazed, as she observed Ichigo's cheek become a rosy hue, though in the very next moment, a new rage began to boil up inside her. "Y-You already have Sh-Shirogane you slut! What, that's not enough for you? Now you've gotta take every cute guy in the world?!"

Ryou noticed Ichigo's twitching eye, and like the quick-witted man that he was, he prevented cyclone Strawberry Hissyfits from completely obliterating the mall. The blond hurriedly ran over to Ichigo, placing a firm hand against her shoulder before facing the brunette to raise an eyebrow at her. "Who are you anyway?"

She took a step back, looking somewhat disappointed. Suddenly seeing the crust in her hand, the girl quickly hid it behind her. "I'm in your fanclub."

"Then you should have remembered what I said." He said coldly. The redhead jolted up at Ryou's words that had broken her away from her fond thoughts of the sweet chef, suddenly reminded of the strangely though unexpectedly pleasant breakfast she had with her boss that morning.

"I-I mean" She looked away, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze before turning to Ichigo. "Shirogane-san is already more than you can handle..." Ichigo stared dumbly at her for a few minutes, until she finally let out a stifled laugh.

Ryou ignored the redhead's muffled laughter, nearly letting a scoff of annoyance escape his own mouth. "So you think Keiichiro is cute?" The blond asked as Ichigo tried to catch her breath. Meanwhile the other Mews watched on with interest except for Mint who approached each of them and pointed accusingly at Ryou mumbling "I told you so!"

"Um." The fan girl stared down at the floor. "Of course not more than you..."

"Oh?" Ryou mused as Ichigo continued to stifle her laughter. "Would you perhaps be interested in dating him then?"

"WE OBJECT!" The Mews screamed, ignoring the very red faced girl who now played with her fingers. Finally, she slowly raised her head to look at the chef, eyes immediately darting away as she suddenly ran off.

"Now EXPLAIN to me what's going on!" Mint shrieked.

"YEA Mr. Bossman!" Pudding pouted as she jabbed her finger at him. The other Mews chimed in. "What were you thinking setting her up with Keiichiro? You know he's already taken!" They seethed threateningly, completely ignoring the chef's presence as he stood uncomfortably behind Ichigo as the focus of the conversation.

Damn. Plan foiled! Ryou cursed under his breath, but he spoke as calmly as ever. "Taken? He's not taken."

"Yet." Mint crossed her arms. "Now would you care to let the others know that I'm _not_ insane and that it really was you two making out throughout the day?"

Ryou watched Mint waiting expectantly as she wore that self-assured smirk on her face.

He opened his mouth to speak, though closed it in the very next moment – not because he could not come up with an explanation, but because of a rude interruption from a certain impolite girl in hysterics.

"AHAHAHA!" The redhead was now curled into a ball in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "As if Shirogane really _is_ something to handle. What an idiot girl! Well, at least she's right about Keiichiro, though honestly, I can't see how she thinks Shirogane is better."

The blond narrowed his eyes at the laughing redhead and gulped down an inexplicable knot in his throat. He smoothed out his silky golden hair casually and let out a small cough before speaking in his usual calm tone. "Please, as if I'd be interested in that baka. It was just a ruse I used to get rid of those annoying fan girls." His voice was confident as ever, but the tiniest twitch appeared at his brow after he had finished talking. Sure enough, when the Mews and others turned their attention to where the brown-haired fan girl had retreated, a large group of drooling girls could be seen stampeding towards them.

"Well, whatever! Like I'd be interested in you." Ichigo screamed immediately, all laughter forgotten. She stomped off in the opposite direction, not even bothering to pick up her bags or to throw out her trash behind her.

"Ichi-chan!" Keiichiro ran after her as the Mews looked on in silence. Although Ryou had the urge to run after her as well, he kept his feet grounded to the floor, convinced that the return of the bizarre itch was due solely to his dislike of seeing the two together (which of course was because of his fear that the baka would melt away the mind of his best friend and lab assistant into sweet strawberry mush of idiocity).

"Argh. I meant _Idiocy._" Damn, within less than 4 hours, the baka had already infiltrated the mind of a genius. Ryou could only imagine what it would do to a normal mind. Keiichiro truly was in danger.

"Making out is a ruse?!" Mint had been standing there dazed, but upon having it registered in her mind, she finally spat her words in disgust.

"No." The blond groaned, clawing a hand down his face with his fingers. "We don't _make out_. How can you even come up with something like _that_?" He visibly shuddered. "We didn't and we haven't. I was just talking about the instance right at this moment."

"Bet you wish you did" The Lorikeet chirped, adding her own commentaries between his speech. She brought her hands behind her, casually swaying her body back and forth as she did a minor stretch. Her eyes were closed as she spoke with such assurance that it could make people question their own names.

"Pft" Ryou only managed to mutter, as he was so tongue-tied over the hidden truth that was quite pleasurable even if he'd never admit it out loud; though at this point, even Zakuro began wearing an expression that resembled Mints. He groaned, raising a hand to his head.

"Then you shouldn't mind that we're trying to set up Ichigo and Akasaka-san together." Zakuro flipped her hair with one hand. Mint turned to the idol, beaming. Ugh. As if he wasn't having a hard enough time with just Mint.

"Actually, why don't you join in our efforts?" The blue-haired girl questioned, despite the nervous glance she received from Lettuce. He let a small cough escape his mouth; Ryou couldn't even begin to imagine the anguish that would cause him - to bring together the very people he was trying to tear apart.

"We can't have that, Mint-oneesan. How would we be able to set up Lettuce-neesan and Shirogane-oniisan then?" Pudding propped herself up between Ryou and Mint, grabbing their shoulders to pull herself up. Lettuce appeared in the very next moment, dragging away the hyperactive monkey girl as she kept one hand over her mouth. "SHH." The blushing girl quickly retreated with Pudding in hand.

"_Girls_." He rolled his eyes at them. "What is it with girls and trying to set people up?" His right eye visibly twitched yet another time- at this point, his right eye threatened to pop out. He began storming off after the pair that had left moments ago. "And since when were you trying to set me up with _Lettuce_?" He muttered as he stormed away.

"Would you be happier if we tried to set you up with Ichigo then?" Mint called after the blond, who only seemed to speed up even more afterward.

Mint shrugged and turned to Zakuro as she watched him leave.

"You really should be a little nicer Mint." The idol gave a slight smile to the somewhat taken back Mint.

"It's not my fault. Like he said, he doesn't like Ichigo. So none of this stuff should actually bother him. This is what he gets for being in denial."

"AFTER THEM!" The pair suddenly heard behind them. They turned around to see a swarm of angry girls tailing them. "AFTER THEM ALL!" The orange haired Reina stood at the front of the attack, extending an arm in their direction. The floor of the mall shook as the earthquake of fan girl feet rumbled threateningly after them.

"Oh my god! That's Zakuro!" Another girl squealed when the group had gotten close enough. No sooner had the stampede arrived, that the angry mob transformed into one of utmost admiration.

"The mall was a bad idea Zakuro."

"Agreed." The two were drowning in a sea of overzealous hands, trapped within the crowd. It would take another hour before the two would be able to escape.

Meanwhile, Ryou who should have been grateful for Zakuro's presence to distract the insane minds of infatuated girls, quickly ran after the redhead and brunet. The buzzing was getting louder and louder and it began pounding at his ears. He didn't know why his legs had moved on their own in that direction, only that if he had tried to fight it, his head would surely explode.

And then he found them. He took a slight step back, hand clutching at his chest. _His_ strawberry was seated on a couch in the resting area of the mall. Her expression was pained, but Keiichiro gently brought a hand to her face, stroking it lightly. She stared at him with pleading eyes, before finally falling into his chest and allowing the brunet to wrap his arms around her.

It was too late. Ryou clasped his hands tightly together, eyes narrowing at the ground, before he stepped away from his hidden position and stomped away from the agitating scene.

"Shirogane!" He thought he heard his strawberry call, but brushed away the ridiculous impossibility as he hurried away to nowhere in particular.

"Kei-kun," Ichigo wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "What's with him lately? And why don't you guys talk anymore?" She stared up at Keiichiro's smiling face as she nestled within his arms.

He pulled her closer against him, settling his chin on the top of her head and gave a sigh. "Don't worry about it Ichigo." The tone of his voice was soothing, lulling her into a calm. "Don't worry your pretty little head over it. Things will turn out for the best, and all this confusion you're feeling now will soon clear up."

She heaved, bringing Keiichiro's head up slightly in the motion. "I hope so Kei-kun. Because I just don't understand what's going on with me today. And I don't know why I'm so confused. I mean, I think I'm over Masaya but for some reason, I still feel these familiar emotions that I can't explain."

He stroked her hair. Although he could not see the tinted hue on her cheeks, he could feel Ichigo's face warm against his body. Keiichiro gave a light understanding chuckle. "In due time, Ichi-chan."

"Thanks Kei. You really are as sweet as Masaya." She pulled away from him, just enough to get a look at his smile. "And your smiles, they really are so comforting." Ichigo returned his grin, expression softening the more she spoke.

"Glad to hear it Ichi and I'm glad you're no longer troubled with thoughts of Aoyama." He pulled her back into the hug, giving her a small squeeze before he released her. "Now why don't we go find the others. I'm sure they're concerned about us." Keiichiro rose from his seat, offering a hand to the sitting Ichigo.

She held onto his warm hand, and released a breath, not even realizing she had held it in. Upon getting up however, he loosened his grip and spoke. "Why don't you go after Ryou? I'm sure he wouldn't listen to me. I'll go find the others."

The redhead looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled. "It really won't be that bad."

Ichigo sighed and dropped her head in defeat. "Fine. If you insist. But only because I'm worried about you two not getting along, definitely not because I'm worried about that jerk."

"Mhmm."

"What?" She exclaimed after seeing Keiichiro's disapproving expression. "Well he _is_. I don't know how you can still be so understanding when he's been giving you the cold shoulder. Really Keiichiro, you're capacity for kindness is beyond me."

"I'm sure you can understand Ichigo. He's like a brother to me. It doesn't matter what he does to me, I'd still be concerned about him."

"I know I know." Ichigo said sighing.

"And I can't possibly leave him alone when he's already so lonely." Keiichiro chuckled at a sudden thought. "I'm sure he'd get angry if he heard that too. He'd probably yell at me for pitying him."

"Is it pity?" She asked, mildly stirred by Keiichiro's words.

"Of course not." He looked at her surprised.

Ichigo wrenched her face together as another unsettling feeling overcame her. She pressed against her stomach. "I know. You just have this desire to cure that loneliness, to take away that coldness that he's gotten used to. It's not pity, it's a _need _to make him smile, because his smiles can brighten up the room. Even if he's a jerk sometimes..." She trailed off, but suddenly realizing that she was speaking, she gasped and brought both hands against her mouth.

"Did you mean me or you, Ichigo?" Keiichiro smiled. He patted her head mildly. "It seems like the cloud of confusion is just beginning to clear up."

"W-What? What do you mean?" She sputtered, cat ears popping out at his sudden motion. "I was just saying how you must've felt...was all..." Ichigo looked away from the brunet, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

"Hai, hai." Keiichiro waved a hand to her, walking off to find the Mews. "Just know that I'll always be here if you need anything Ichigo." His voice faded as the tall figure disappeared into the distance.

"What was that about?" Ichigo mumbled, heart still racing from the warm embrace she received from the sweet and attractive brunet. "And _definitely_ not because of thoughts of Shirogane..."

Ichigo breathed out a sigh. She motioned to smooth out her skirt, but looked down to see the pair of disgustingly baggy pants. With the heat blasted on high, the redhead was feeling warm beyond her comfort and the extra stockings she wore underneath did not help one bit. "Darn...should've taken one of the bags with me. Now I can't even change."

Her cheeks went pale. "...bags" She spun around, only managing to speak in single syllables. "Where...?" Ignoring Keiichiro's suggestion, she sped back towards the food court to retrieve her 21 bags of newly purchased things, compliments of a Mint who would most likely kill the redhead if she heard that she had lost everything.

She retraced her steps, staring down at the floor as her footsteps tapped against the glossy floor in a hurried rhythm. That is, until that rhythm was interrupted by a sudden...

CRASH!

"Watch it!" cried an annoyed girl whom Ichigo had just collided with. Both girls sat on the floor, rubbing their heads.

"Mint?!" The redhead's eyes grew wide. The dark-haired girl turned around to face her.

"I really should have brought my bodyguards with me today." She groaned, glaring at Ichigo. "The mall is absolutely ridiculous. It's filled with crazy girls and horny couples. I've yet to find any _normal_ people at the mall. It's really more like an asylum for the hormonally imbalanced, gone off the charts type. Which I am not." Mint's cheeks grew red with anger as she spouted her words. "And what the hell is wrong with those fan girls? No wonder Shirogane-san doesn't like to go out. Crazies...all of them, crazies!"

"Come on, it's not that bad." Ichigo got up and offered a hand to the pouting Mint who had refused to get up. "And I come here all the time."

"Exactly." Mint glared at the girl, clearly not in a good mood.

"Psh. What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo kept her agitated tone at bay, since it _was_ her bestfriend who had paid for everything. She grabbed at Mint's resistant hand and pulled her up anyway.

"Well, whatever." Mint smirked at the redhead's efforts. Her bestfriend really wasn't one who was known for controlling her anger. Her attempt at it and the strained expression on her face amused Mint at least. "So why were you in such a hurry?"

"Uh." Ichigo shuffled uncomfortably where she stood. "I...uh..." Think, girl, think!

"...was trying to air out my legs?" She could have hit herself on the head in the next moment, but resisted the urge as she smiled on innocently, hoping that Mint would be too confused to ask what she meant.

The dark-haired girl raised an eyebrow at her, but in the very next moment her expression brightened up as a thought hit her. "Those clothes are uncomfortable aren't they?"

"Um. Mint, that smile is creepy."

"Hehehehe..." So was that sudden gleam in her eyes. "There's one more stop we should make. We've done the cute, ghetto, gangster, emo, rocker, and elegant looks. Now we're just missing one _very_ important one. One that will make guys drool over you. The one you need to completely get over Aoyama-kun."

Ichigo's toe twitched momentarily. Wherever this was going, her body was uncomfortable with it and it was telling her so with the random spasms. "But...I'm already over him!"

"Nuh-uh." Mint wore a wide grin. "Not until you get another boyfriend, or at least take the proper steps to find one."

The redhead grabbed on to Mint's sleeve, eyebrows slightly together as her lips dropped into a frown. "Mint..." she whined. "I don't _need_ a boyfriend."

"You're right Ichigo." The redhead relaxed. "The mall really isn't so bad." And tensed back up.

"Next up, you're full makeover! I'm gonna dress you up in drop-dead gorgeous sexy clothes. Until you can make every guy in the mall drool or make their jaws drop, my mission is not complete!"

Mint perked up, wearing a big smile as she pulled the groaning Ichigo along with her. "Oh come on Ichigo. You've got the body for it, you just have to use it. Haven't you always wanted to try being _sexy_ for once?"

The redhead stirred mildly at her words. Her cheeks took on a crimson hue as she was reminded of a certain inconsiderate blond's words earlier that day "_You have no sex appeal at all._" Ichigo stood up tall and shook Mint's hand off of her own. Her friend turned around to look at her curiously.

"Oh hell yeah, Mint. Let's do this."

Beginning Operation Speechless Blond. This trip to the mall was going to be fun after all.

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Okay, so honestly I didn't like this chapter that much. I feel like the story's been going downhill since the beginning of the mall, but this chapter was mostly to set up the next one. Please be patient!

I had hoped to make this chapter funny at least...

Let me know what you thought!


	14. Getting Caught

Woot, another update! Are my lightning speed updates returning? This was a super fun chapter for me to write, and you'll see why ;) (though I think the title is somewhat self explanatory.)

This chappy is for the IxR fans!

**5+ reviews before the next update!**

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Last time on Chapter 13: (You can skip this if you remember)

A jealous fan girl causes Mint's suspicions to rise. Ichigo and Ryou were confronted by Mint, but were able to get away because of Ichigo's sudden rude laughter over how anyone could think Ryou is better than Keiichiro. Ryou, annoyed, says that there was no way he'd be interested in her. Ichigo runs off and is comforted by Keiichiro. Little does Ryou know why the redhead was crying, as he stumbles upon the two embracing. Angry, he storms off.

Ichigo's confused emotions seem to be clearing up bit by bit as she speaks to Keiichiro. He encourages Ichigo to go after Ryou, but after Kei leaves, Ichigo realizes that she has forgotten all her bags at the food court.

Meanwhile, Lettuce and Pudding have run off somewhere after the green-haired girl was entirely embarrassed by the fact that the blond had heard of the mews plans to set them up.

Zakuro and Mint muse over Ryou's denial of his feelings for Ichigo and are chased by crazy fan girls who were originally obsessed with Ryou, but become obsessed with Zakuro instead. (Fan girl group conversion?)

On her way to the food court, Ichigo bumps into Mint who just managed to escape. Instead of heading to the food court in fear that Mint would kill her, Ichigo is dragged by Mint for a makeover. The redhead agrees to wear sexy clothes, only because she plans on leaving Ryou entirely speechless.

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**Chapter 14****: Getting Caught**

"Come out!" cried an exasperate Mint.

"No!" Ichigo said from inside the fitting room, half sobbing. "I can't believe you'd pick something like this. It's so…_slutty_." The redhead shuddered in her low-cut black satin dress. Her cleavage was clearly visible at the center of the V-neck opening of the silky dress and the black cloth ended halfway above her knees. The edge of the dress was embroidered with dark red threads in the shape of ornamental flowers at the bottom and lined the top of the opening that exposed nearly half of her bare breasts.

"It's not slutty Ichigo. It's sexy." The redhead heard Mint scoff. She pulled her hands around her arms, trying to cover herself as she looked in the mirror. True, it _did_ look good on her, but it was just so embarrassing! It was worse than her Mew outfit. The sides of the black dress clung on to her tightly, revealing her thin waist and accentuated her graceful curves.

"But…" She said uneasily, as she made a full turn in front of the mirror.

"Stop complaining will you?"

"I…I can't come out!" She cried, noticing the ears that had popped out. Ichigo traced her hand to her butt, wondering where her tail was before she noted the warmth at the side of her thigh. The dress had slits along the bottom of both sides. This observation only made the girl even more nervous, as her body shot up completely stiff. God, if she had to "act" with Shirogane now…

Tinkle. Tinkle.

"I heard that! Goodness Ichigo, what are you thinking of?" The redhead heard her best friend tap her foot against the floor impatiently. "I'm not waiting here forever. Call me when you've finally gotten over yourself. I'll be in the bathroom."

The nervous girl jumped. "Now?!" she screeched, not at all fond of the idea of having to continue with Operation Blue Jay in these clothes.

"Yes Ichigo." Mint rolled her eyes at the closed door with her arms crossed. "Anyway, be sure to show Keiichiro when you come out, okay?" She smirked as she strutted her way out of the store.

Ichigo groaned, sliding down the wall of the fitting room. She stared at her sleek peep-toe heels before she finally grabbed her cell phone from her bag. Giving a slight sigh, she scrolled through her list of contacts until she found "Idiot Boss." Her hands trembled slightly as she carelessly brought her other hand to her hair to pull out the scrunchies, letting her hair fall against her shoulders. At least this would help to cover her up even just a little bit.

Her hand continued shaking as she fiddled with the phone. It was a little hard to breathe while she typed in the message with her thumb; she could only think of the last time she had seen him, when he had suddenly stormed off without even acknowledging her voice. Although Ichigo honestly had no idea why he had acted that way, she could not help but feel partially responsible for his sudden reversion to his usual cold behavior.

She gulped. His mood swings really shouldn't be her concern, but she could not help being worried, though she'd never admit that out loud. After all, within the few hours of today, she had begun seeing him more as a friend. Even though they continued their usual bickering, Ichigo could not forget his rare moments of kindness recently.

"Like the breakfast…" she gulped down another clump at her throat, recalling the strange skip in her heartbeat when he had gently tended to her foot and smiled at her with the softest expression she had ever seen him wear.

She raised her free hand against her head, ruffling her hair violently. "What am I going on about and why am I so nervous over nothing?" The girl breathed out. Her curls of red amber hair framed her rosy face. Her black cat ears twitched slightly at the approaching footsteps.

"Ichi-chan?" Keiichiro's voice startled her, even though she was quite aware of his presence beforehand. "Would you like to come out? Don't worry, it's just me." His voice was getting distant as he paced through the fitting rooms, passing by each door since he didn't know where Ichigo was.

The redhead stifled a gasp, cupping a hand to her lips. Keiichiro…what would Keiichiro _think_ about those clothes? How could she walk out with something so vulgar in his presence? He was a gentleman and he'd surely think those clothes were slutty too.

She clutched her phone, still sitting on the ground with her legs stretched out in front of her. Her finger shook as it hovered over the 'send' button. Her message was complete, all she had to do was press the darn button.

With determination, her thumb tapped it, shooting the text message through its invisible signals to be received by her blond boss, no, her blond friend. She would go through with it, the plans, to the very end. They had gotten this far already hadn't they? And it was obvious that Mint was very much fazed by it.

Besides, he'd be able to transform her into a cat so no one would actually have to see her in those clothes, except for Mint who they were aiming for.

_And Shirogane._ She groaned, cheeks now crimson.

"No, no, Ichigo. It's time to step up and act. What happened to getting rid of that pompous attitude of his?" She settled the erratic beats of her heart, taking in deep breaths as she waited for the familiar purple cat to come dashing in under the door of the fitting room. This time she was ready for him; he would definitely not catch her exposing the full glory of her voluptuous derrière from under another short skirt.

She flipped her phone open to check the time. What was taking him so long?

Finally tired of waiting, the girl rose to her feet and rushed out the door. After all, she couldn't be certain whether the blond would even show up. And if she hurried, no one would see her.

Or so she thought, if she hadn't blindly collided against something warm.

She felt something soft against her lips and the sweet taste of caramel. Before she could dwell on the sensation, she felt the familiar zap through her body as a strange electric pulse permeated through her. Ichigo opened her eyes, facing a giant who looked like…Keiichiro?!

"Huh?" Keiichiro raised a hand to his head, looking straight in front of him. "I thought…" He raised a finger to his lips which curved up ever so slightly, causing the black kitten on the ground to widen her eyes with shock. She hurriedly ran out of the fitting rooms, hoping that the brunet would not see her. Her heart pounded against her ears. No, that hadn't just happened had it?

"What happened?" A muffled meow escaped the lavender cat who grabbed on to the dashing black kitten by her neck with his mouth.

"N-nothing!" the black cat mewed nervously as she flailed around beneath Alto's grip. He finally released her. "You're a cat." He settled his furry lavender rump on the ground, refusing to budge as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"And? So are you." Ichigo replied, trying to nudge him out of the store. While none of the other Mews were present, a random customer was bound to notice two stray cats in the store.

He sighed, still refusing to move despite the pressure he felt at his side. "Yes but I can transform without kisses." He felt the black cat stop her shoving as she looked up at him with guilty eyes.

"It was with Keiichiro wasn't it?" He mewed, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I-I'm sorry." She yelped as she sent a pleading stare at him.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" He said coldly, though there was the slightest tremble in his voice.

"I-I don't know. I-I just f-feel like I need to." Kitty Ichigo approached Alto with her head down. "Are we still going?" She asked meekly.

"No." Alto lay flat against the floor, leaning his chin above a paw.

"O-oh." She settled nervously beside him. He looked like he was sleeping. His eyes were closed and he turned his head away from where she sat.

"Disappointed?" He felt her tiny body stiffen, startled by his question.

"M-Maybe just a l-little." That got his attention. He spun around to face her, just seeing her mumble to herself as she stared at the ground. "I'm glad you came anyway."

The muscles between his eyebrows tightened, bringing the two arches together while he considered her words. He basked in her warmth at his side as he remembered the text message he had received on his phone. He had rushed back to collect Ichigo's bags from the food court awhile ago and it had taken him some time to convince a thoroughly annoyed Zakuro (whom he had met along the way after she had just managed to escape from his swarm of fan girls) to watch the bags as he ran off to who knows where without even an explanation.

Truthfully, he would not even have considered coming back if it had not been for the message. After all the not-so-heartwarming scenes of the strawberry cuddling beside his ex-best friend, the blond was just not in the mood to continue any of the plans on Mint. But that message…

– _Mint's in the bathroom again. I don't know if you want to go on with this, but I'm still up for it. I'll be waiting, even if you don't show. I hope to see you there.—_

Maybe he was thinking too much into it, but those words…_I'll be waiting…I __hope__ to see you there_. Those words had overwhelmed his better judgment and now he found himself once again witnessing the growing relationship between _his_ strawberry and Keiichiro. Damned blasted FLY! Why wouldn't it stay down?

"I'm really glad you came." Ichigo turned to him, nose touching his furry cheeks as she gave him a light lick, before nestling her chin within her own paws. Alto thought he could feel the low rumble in her throat.

He stared at her, mouth somewhat parted as his eyes widened. "What are you still doing here?" Alto meowed somewhat harshly to settle his irregular pulse.

Yawning with her eyes closed, she spoke again. "You know I can't really go back unless I'm human. So I guess I'll be hanging around you for awhile." She opened one eye at him. "Unless I go to Keiichiro…"

Alto let a soft growl out. "Yo baka, let's go already. On with the plan!" He hissed through his teeth. With that, the black kitten hurried after the running lavender cat, eyes focused on the twitch of his tail. All the while, the lavender cat mumbled incoherently to himself.

Kitty Ichigo smiled just the slightest. "You…couldn't be…jeal-?" She coughed before she could finish speaking.

"What?" The blue-eyed cat shot her an annoyed glance before looking ahead again as he continued to run. Although he was no longer facing her, he mewed his words anyway. "I couldn't be what?"

"N-no, it's nothi—"

"Eep." The black kitten squeaked as she suddenly felt a warm pair of hands lifting her small furry body. She looked up at the figure holding her, keeping her ears down.

The blue-eyed human Ryou held onto the limp feline body. His brows furrowed together at the kitten's unusual lack of resistance. Each time the blond had helped her transform, her body would become stiff or she would keep her eyes tightly shut as if preparing for the most reviled thing in the world. He rarely kissed her as a human, but when he did, he would be met with struggling paws and sharp claws.

"Ichigo" he whispered, finding their typical place in front of the restroom entrance. "I couldn't be what?"

Her ears twitched at the pleading tone of his words. She slowly brought her head up, surprised to see the unexpected glimmer in his eyes.

"Please, just tell me what you were going to say."

"…jealous."

He stared at her, dazed. His lips were parted and the muscles at his forehead tensed up. He opened his mouth to speak. "W-Would you like me to be? I- " But he could not find any more words after that. Finally sighing, he brought the black cat to his lips. The gentle tap led to the expected pink glow of light around the transforming cat. Ryou hadn't let go of Ichigo even when she had begun transforming and his hands now rested on her waist. Their lips were still connected; the blond made no motion to pull away but he did not push forth either. He waited, allowing the contact of his lips to linger on hers and waited for her to quickly separate herself from him and begin her usual Ichigo beatings and screeches at him.

He waited, all the while sinking in her strawberry sweetness. It was only moments before she would pull back, entirely appalled by his actions. But she did no such thing.

Ryou's eyes widened as Ichigo surprisingly kissed back. His pulse raced at the sensation of her mouth against his as he felt her slightly parting her lips for more. He responded likewise and felt the girl shiver in his arms. She brought a hand to his silky hair, combing through it and pulled him in closer with her other hand against his back. She relished the feel of his prying mouth as he pushed forward, crushing her against the wall. She forcefully yanked him in close, her pulse pounding hard at her ears as she fought to keep her heart from exploding from her chest. She couldn't take it anymore. Finally, Ichigo brought her head back, desperately needing air, though she noted how Ryou's lips followed hers even when she pulled away.

She gasped for air. Her body was still linked with his and she felt his chest heaving to catch a breath. She rested her head against his chest, feeling her own cheeks emanating with heat. Her ruby strands fell on her face, hiding her expression. Ichigo wasn't entirely sure what to do, but had dug herself within his vest to keep from being seen.

"Ichigo…" She snuggled closer at his use of her name and felt a warm hand gently stroking her cat ears. Gradually, she let herself sink into bliss; her cat genes took over as the low rumble of her purrs flowed through her throat for the second time within only a few minutes. She rarely purred even once a day, yet somehow, when she was with him…

"Did I ever tell you I love these ears?" He whispered. She reluctantly took a slight step back; it had felt so _right_ to just stay wrapped within his arms. Ichigo looked up, carefully watching his face. He was smiling with such warmth that she didn't know he was capable of. It lit up the darkness and caused a fuzzy feeling at the pit of her stomach to spread through her body.

"Did I ever tell you that I love your smile…R-Ryou?" Ichigo quickly looked away, her black ears down as she felt her face turn crimson. He lifted her chin with a hand to get her to meet his intense gaze. She shifted around nervously as she found herself sinking into the depths of those cerulean eyes once again. Ryou's lips curled up into a wide grin, and his expression twinkled.

"So…did that answer your question?" His gaze bore through her. He gulped after asking, the rosy tint on his cheeks since the kiss was still lingering.

"Not…really." Ichigo sent him a blank stare.

"W-Wait what?" Ryou's smile immediately fell. "I thought…I though we- that is, me and you…" He narrowed his eyes, gaze directed at the cold glossy floor. He shoved Ichigo aside as he forced down a clump at his throat.

"Maybe— "

"J-Just forget any of this happened Ichi— no – strawberry." He choked his words. His blond strands slapped against his face as he spat vehemently.

Ichigo grabbed onto his arm before he could storm off. "I was saying. Maybe, we should try again...just to clarify your answer, that is." Her eyes darted nervously around.

Ryou looked up, his tense face slowly loosening up as he absorbed her words. His scowl transformed into an expression of shock as he raised both his eyebrows with both eyes opened wide and his mouth open as he stood there stupefied by what she had suggested.

His eyes glazed over with a hungry look. Uttering a deep growl, he rushed back over, arms propping himself up from the wall as he trapped Ichigo in between. The redhead let out a small squeak at the suddenness of his motion, blood rushing as she tried to calm herself. She took a gulp while she stared at his unflinching eyes constantly watching her.

Ryou's expression steadily softened. The hungry glint in his eyes now overcome with care and consideration. Ichigo observed his arms loosening as they became slack by his side. He looked…content.

She felt his hand against her cheek and brought her own hands to his wrist. He was inching closer. She could feel his breath tickling at her cheeks. She could feel the warmth emitted from his cheeks and could smell his familiar scent. He was coming closer. His half parted lips were so close.

"I'm positive it was them! Ugh. How did Shirogane-san manage to get away without actually explaining anything? I need solid proof…" Mint was found within the restroom. She was just washing up. After drying her hands with a paper towel, she settled on the couch in the sitting area of the restroom right before the toilets and sinks. "Solid proof…." She leaned back on the maroon plush couch, bringing a hand to her head. "I got it!" She squealed, bringing a fist to the palm of her other hand.

Ichigo jumped up, having heard her voice. "Mint! Our plans!"

Ryou hovered uncomfortably before her face, feeling the wind of her breath when she spoke. "Forget Mint." He growled yet again.

"I almost did…" she muttered quietly though the blond had not heard.

He scoffed. "I couldn't care less about those stupid plans now anyway."

"Really, really?" Ichigo asked, voice quivering.

"Really." Another smile crept onto his face. "You're such a kid sometimes." He mused, not moving from where he stood.

Ichigo pouted and immediately turned away from him. "Hmph. If I'm such a kid, don't kiss me then."

This brought a smirk to Ryou's lips. "Who said I was going to, baka?"

"W-What?!" She spun back around, looking entirely appalled. "Weren't we…aren't we..?" She stared at his continuous smirk. "Argh. So everything is just a stupid game to you isn't it?" Ryou was taken back by her hurt expression.

"Everything is always just to tease me isn't it?" Ichigo cried, tears forming at her eyes. "Why the hell wouldn't it be? I'm just thinking things on my own. Why am I su – "

"Oh will you shut up already?" Ryou finally spoke, bringing a hand to wipe away the tears of the silenced girl. He rested his forehead against hers. "God, I hate to see girls cry." He nuzzled his nose against hers.

"Oh my Mew Aqua!" came the familiar shriek of Mint. "I – what? Again?! Damn asylum for hormones gone wild! And what a slutty dress!" She just brushed by the two, storming away from them as quickly as possible.

Ichigo's black cat ears twitched at the sound. "Slutty? That damned Mint. _She_ picked this out!" She snarled through her teeth, causing Ryou to take a step back. He pried her away by her shoulders…her bare shoulders which he had not noticed all this time.

And for the first time, he got a proper glance at her clothes.

"What is it Shiro- Ryou?" Ichigo cocked her head to one side looking at him curiously. "You look like a goldfish!" She began to chuckle, as she watching his jaw drop and then close again. Then remembering, she quickly pulled him back in. "Darn, almost forgot about Mint." She felt his muscles tense under her arms and heard him gulp. "Look if you can't act now, I'm gonna have to be the one on the outside." Ichigo pushed him out of the way and proceeded to slam him against the wall.

"Remind me to thank Mint..." he barely managed to mutter quietly to himself, as he let the girl take over his paralyzed body.

She brought her hands to his hair, pulling him down toward her to keep him from view. Tip-toeing, she hugged him close and whispered. "Sorry about that kiss before. I don't know what came over me. I know I said no kissing…" Mint had brought her back to reality. She had been caught in the moment. "But I promise, this is purely business." She felt her flushed cheeks and inwardly cursed herself for pretending she had felt nothing with the kiss. But after her near confession which she wasn't even certain about, and seeing the blond using her emotions to best her once again, she knew the kiss must have meant nothing to him.

Ichigo brushed her cheeks against his, noticing its unusual warmth. She brought her hand around his neck and under his shirt, fighting off the need to shiver as she explored his tense muscled body. It felt so …_good_. She let out an involuntary shudder as she felt her insides melt into mush. But there was no way she would admit it to him that she was actually enjoying this.

"It's business, pure business, Shirogane." She whispered, bringing his stiff arm around her waist. "So do what you want." Her cat ears twitched uncontrollably, but they were still hidden by one of his arms.

"Shirogane." She looked at him, quite unused to his silence. His eyes glimmered with…hurt?

"Ryou" It had unintentionally escaped her mouth. Suddenly, she felt him dig his face into the curve of her neck and shivered at the contact of his tongue sliding along the surface of her skin. "R-Ryou?!" She held her breath.

"You said do what I want right?" She looked at him. His eyes were different. He looked hungry without the previous sweetness in his eyes. She shivered as his hand traced its way along the side of her dress down to her legs. He stroked her leg with his fingers, bringing them up and down her thigh. His lips brushed along her neck to her shoulders and he kissed her as he traveled back to her neck.

"R-Ryou…" she stammered, quite lost.

He slammed her back against the wall, now taking his place with his back facing Mint. "What if…" he said somewhat breathlessly as he continued his kisses down her arm. "…I told you…" He grabbed her close, clinging to her until she almost couldn't breathe. Finally releasing her from the tight hug, he pulled her into the girl's bathroom. With his hands still wrapped around the redhead, he pushed forward.

"Wait…a second." Mint said, stopping dead in her tracks with her face glowing bright red. She slowly turned around just in time to catch the blond drag the girl into the bathroom. "Wasn't that the dress I picked out?" She wondered, cautiously making her way back towards the restroom – a fact that the two were quite unaware of.

Ichigo fell against the maroon couch, heart racing in exhilaration. "What if you told me what?" She asked pleadingly, holding her breath as she waited for his answer. She lay limply on the couch without much resistance as she suddenly felt the weight of the blond pressing against her when he settled above her.

He propped his upper body up with his elbows against the couch, but otherwise pinned the defenseless girl down.

"What if…" His low growl rumbled through her body. He brought a hand to her face, brushing away her stray hair.

"I told you that…" Ichigo brought a hand to his neck seeing a somewhat pained expression in his eyes while her body shivered with delight at the pressure she felt against her.

"I want you?" His pained expression was overwhelmed with the hungry look, as he brought a hand up her short skirt, pressing himself against her leaving her breathless.

"Could I…" His words were interrupted by the continual kisses down her legs.

"…still do…" He pressed against her arms as he traveled downward, breathing hard against her skin.

"…what I _want_?" He was kneeling at the end of the couch, bent low against Ichigo's body as he kissed her legs, slowly drawing his lips upward above her knees, up her thighs and upward still. He paused for a moment, bringing his hands up the sides of her leg into her skirt as he sent her another hungry look. "Or rather..._who_ I want?"

"AHHH!" Mint screeched from her position by the doorway. She grabbed at masses of hair with both hands, eyes wide as she continued gaping at the groping couple. "ICHIGO?! SHIROGANE?!"

* * *

Yay, lots of Ichigo and Ryou scenes. I wanted an even balance of sweetness and hot scenes. I hope it didn't come too fast or too unexpectedly. Did their near confessions seem rushed? I thought it was about time to bring them together, but did it seem out of character for them to suddenly be all over each other...considering the rest of the story was moving along kind of slowly. Honestly, I hadn't planned for it to go that far...it just sorta flowed that way...

Anyway, I've been wondering. Do you guys prefer the hot scenes or the sweet ones? And do you prefer them in Ichigo's point of view or Ryou's? (I've been trying to write those in both so far, but it might seem a little awkward if the transition doesn't go nicely.)

Harharhar...I do love leaving the story at a cliffhanger though :X


	15. Only Human

Alright, another update! I _was_ going to wait a week, but seeing how I got so many reviews for the last chapter, I just hadd to update!

Due to the last chapter, and this one, I'm going to have to increase the rating of this story. I hope it doesn't put anyone off from starting this story.

**5+ reviews before the next update!** But more than that is utterly awesome too and it'll probably get me to update faster.

Enjoy the read!

* * *

Last time on Chapter 14: (dry summary, don't read if you remember what happened)

_Ichigo changes into a sexy dress Mint chooses. When Mint announces that she's making yet another visit to the bathroom, Ichigo hesitates before calling Ryou, wondering why he had stormed off when she was with Keiichiro. She nervously texts him a message as pleasant memories of him fill her mind. Frustrated with herself, she finally sends him the message and waits for him to come._

_Tired of waiting, she dashes out the door but accidentally knocks into a confused Keiichiro whom she accidentally kisses on her way out. The brunet is left dazed, and not realizing that it had been real, lifts his hand to his smiling lips. Alto intercepts transformed Ichigo along the way and questions her about her transformation. Ichigo hears the disappointment in his voice when she confirms that she had kissed the chef. Wondering if he had been jealous, the black cat is suddenly lifted from the ground and brought to the blond's lips. _

_After sharing their first intense kiss, Ryou pins Ichigo against the wall but they soon hear Mint coming out of the bathroom. Ryou tells the redhead to forget about the plans, so intent on their near second kiss that was interrupted. Ichigo apologizes for kissing him back, thinking that he doesn't like her. She tells him to do what he wants, pulling his arm around her to encourage him due to his sudden lack of action in their usual plans against Mint. _

_He pulls her into the bathroom and the Lorikeet, catching the slightest glimpse of them, follow behind. The blue-haired half crazed, and nearly mentally unstable girl (because of the antics of two devious felines), walk in on the two, not at all expecting to see the blond on top of a breathless redhead. _

* * *

**Chapter 15****: Only Human (Plus a bit of Cat)  
**

_Could I still do what I want?_

"AHHH!" Mint screeched from her position by the doorway. She grabbed at masses of hair with both hands, eyes wide as she continued gaping at the groping couple. "ICHIGO?! SHIROGANE?!"

Ichigo's cat ears twitched nervously. She had one hand in Ryou's soft hair; she had grabbed onto him to resist the urge to scream. The feel of the incredibly sexy blond bent down low against her with two hands creeping up towards her panties made her want to explode. That is, right up to the moment they had been rudely interrupted.

The girl shook her head violently, her strands of red hair still shielding her face. Interrupted? What was she thinking?

But before she could dwell on her thoughts, the blond quickly lept off of her and roughly pulled her into a bathroom stall with him. The stall was cramped as the redhead found herself now nearly toppling over the toilet. The blond's arm was positioned uncomfortably over his head, though why he wouldn't drop it to his sides was beyond the girl's comprehension.

"Will you get off of me?" The blond seethed, seemingly annoyed. He still had his hands in the air and he refused to look at the girl.

"But I'm going to fall in the toilet!" The redhead pleaded as she wiggled her arm around from going numb at being sandwiched between her blond boss and herself. Bringing it up, she accidentally elbowed his face.

"Ow!" He turned to glare at the girl as he brought one hand down to comfort his nose, but regretted it in the very next instance as his bare arm managed to brush against something warm and enjoyably soft…

"Oh geez" he mumbled to himself. The girl pressed into him further as she tried to get away from the infested toilet bowl.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Ahh!" The redhead nearly toppled over by the force of Mint's violent knocking, but managed to save herself from falling backwards into the pit of germs by grabbing onto Ryou's neck.

She quickly looked away from him, not noticing the red on his cheeks.

"Come out!" Mint screamed. "It's gotta be you guys!"

"W-What do we tell her, Ryou?" the redheaded Mew stared up at him nervously. The blond pulled his arm back into the air, though now his other arm was sufficiently tired from keeping it up like an idiot.

He spoke, not meeting her gaze. "What do you mean? You know the plans won't work if we admit to anything." He said dryly, just managing to feel a slight wince from the catgirl's body as she clung onto him desperately.

"Oh…I thought you didn't care about the…plans?" There was a slight trace of disappointment in her voice and it caused a brief stutter in his heart.

"W-Wait…were you serious?" He turned to look at her, half hopeful.

"I don't know what you're planning, but I can clearly hear you guys whispering something!" Mint barked. "I know it's you! Get out of there right now!" She rammed the door, forcing Ryou forward and causing Ichigo to nearly fall again.

The blond finally dropped his arms and wrapped them protectively around the girl, regretting it once again the moment he had done it. The inner part of his arms brushed against the sides of her nearly bare breasts as she still kept her own arms twisted uncomfortably, with her elbows dangerously close to his face…And somehow, his right hand had landed on another plush area of her body.

Ryou shuffled uncomfortably, eyes closed. He had almost completely lost control before, if it had not been for Mint. Wait…control? Control himself from what? What exactly had he intended to do with the strawberry? And why was there even a _need_ for control? She was just that ditsy, idiot employee wasn't she? How could that ditsy, moronic, annoyingly… beautiful amazingly spunky and outright sexy…

"Damnit!" He cursed under his breath for his straying thoughts. The warmth against his right hand made his fingers itch to close around the soft object…

"Eep!" Ichigo squeaked.

"What the - ?" The blond foolishly turned to look at the girl, but his head shot back up at the next moment as he caught a glimpse down her _very _low cut shirt. He could feel his face give off heat like a radiator and cursed Mint for this moment of torture. _Control, control, control, damnit!_

Then realizing his hand was still squeezing her enjoyably soft, rounded mound of perfection for a butt, he unknowingly let out a soft groan.

"Eh?" The girl pulled herself up toward him despite her burning cheeks, trying to get a glimpse of the strange expression on his face. Ryou wasn't looking at anything in particular and his mouth was half parted. She watched as he licked his dry lips, staring at those same lips she had kissed earlier. Fortunately for the nervous girl, her daze was broken by the blond's sudden gulp.

His cerulean blue-eyes, previously cloudy from thoughts of who knows what (or rather, of things that is better off not mentioned), now cleared up. He stared at the girl blankly for a few seconds, blinking to make sense of the situation. Then turning bright crimson, he harshly whispered to her as he brought his eyes away from the tantalizing teasing of her breasts pressed ever closer to his chest.

"Will you get your elbows away from my face already?!"

And to his relief, the girl finally parted just enough to keep from touching him. He breathed out a sigh. Ichigo now brought her hands to her side, just lightly nudging at his hand that refused to let go.

"Uh." She directed her gaze downward, but Ryou immediately brought a hand to her chin to raise her head.

"Uh. Better?" His hand just twitched the slightest bit in regret for having to part from under her skirt. But it had to be done…considering.

"Stop messing with me guys!" Mint screeched, now bringing a hand against her temples. Her eyebrows were furrowed together. "…maybe it really isn't them? But if it isn't, then why couldn't they just respond?"

Then turning toward the bathroom door with new determination, she rapped against it even more violently than before, causing the tripping redhead to once again grab onto the blond, who now almost whimpered at the next few minutes of torturous abstinence.

Her hand gripped his vest, unintentionally pulling him closer to her and the other hand had somehow caught onto the back of his head. Her eyes were shut tightly in anticipation for the impact, but Ryou had been as reliable as ever and as steady as a rock…not to mention as stiff as one.

"Why are you so stiff?" She wondered out loud, noting his tensed muscles as her hand left his vest and traced the side of his arm. Even his chest seemed hard as he unwittingly kept everything flexed in utmost nervousness. Of all the times they had acted, he had never been this way. He had never seemed remotely nervous (to her annoyance), even when his hands were prying at places on her body that no one else had ever touched.

Then feeling a strange warmth at her chest, she looked down. The sight turned her face tomato red as she hurriedly grabbed the sides of his head with both hands, and gently propped them away from her chest, where he had sunk into due to her unrelenting grip on him.

Ichigo could not find the words to speak, eyes nervously darting away from the blond though she kept her hands there. His neck had seemed to have gone limp and could not support his head. He held the most dazed expression, eyes opened wide and mouth once again gaping. And for the first time that the twitching cat girl noticed, Ryou Shirogane was flustered – his cheeks were probably redder than hers.

"L-let go!" he sputtered, frantically pulling away from the blushing redhead. He had only noticed exactly how close the girl had brought his face against hers. She immediately dropped her hands to her side, feeling as though her cheeks were steaming from heat.

"ANSWER ME!" Mint cried, giving a final shove at the door.

The blond caught the redhead's flailing arm and harshly pulled her back, causing the girl's body to crash into his, knocking the breath out of him as he was forced against the door. "Damn Mint. I'm killing her as soon as I get out of here alive." Ryou cursed quietly, though his face was quite rosy from rage as Ichigo noted.

"What do you mean by that?" Ichigo looked up innocently. Her arms were pinned against his body as he hugged her tightly. His eyes darted away from her and he suddenly pulled his arms away from her, once again extended them up toward the ceiling.

"Ugly women, ugly women!" She heard him mutter under his breath with her cat ears.

"What are you doing?" She raised an eyebrow at him, shuffling around just a bit to take a step back. But then remembering the unflattering image of the wet toilet seat, she jumped back toward him, chest pressing into him as her hands brushed against something.

"Why are your pockets so deep?"

Ryou suddenly held his breath, very conscious of how close the girl was to him; he was conscious of her every curve remembering the contact of her body as he nearly fainted from that single moment of pure ecstasy against the soft plush of her breasts. "Oh Kami!" He cried, biting his lip. Of all the people who had to arouse him, it had to be this baka.

She _was_ incredibly hot though…

And after all, he was just a man. A man at the prime of his youth at that…

Curious, Ichigo pressed her hand against his familiar white pants, lightly brushing against him. "Girl pockets are so much smaller. I didn't know guy pants had pockets that went all the way down there." He could feel her gaze and gulped nervously. He was sure she could see the crimson on his cheeks that probably matched the color of her hair now and though he hated this fact, he had other more important concerns at the moment.

"And I thought your wallet was much smaller than that." Her cat ears were gone. Talking to him normally had apparently calmed her nerves. Her eyes slowly parted from his face, slowing scanning his chest and making her gaze downward.

But Ryou immediately brought his hand to her chin, finally meeting her gaze.

Her eyebrows were furrowed. "Why are you so quiet? Something's wrong." Her eyes reflected concern to his surprise.

"I-uh…nothing…wrong." Groaning, he grabbed masses of hair with his hand, tempted to bang his head against the door. He could cry at this moment. All because of that damned Mint telling her to wear those clothes…May she rot in hell for this cruel and unusual punishment.

"Are you sure?" She whispered, unconvinced. "Fever?" She brought a hand to his head. He jumped up as her hand managed to make another accidental sweep against his 'wallet'.

"And why are you so stiff?" She questioned, referring to his tense muscles as he held his breath yet again. If she only knew the half of it.

He cringed at the thought. Good thing she was a baka.

Ichigo inched closer, studying his face, pressing into him yet again as he caught another glimpse down the v-neck opening. He let out a moan as he felt her against him.

The redhead jumped slightly at the sound, cheeks going red as she suddenly remembered exactly how awkward their position was. "Uh…"

"Just play along." Ryou growled as if his slip had been intentional.

"Right. It's just an act." Ichigo said somewhat dejectedly as she nervously looked away from him. She pouted with those full, rosy lips teasing him to have a taste.

"Jesus, I'm only a man." He muttered to himself, finally pulling the flustered girl to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, conscious that she would be able to feel him press into her. He stared at her bare skin and giving a low growl, he dived in. His hand roamed under her skirt, snapping at the elastic of her underwear as he kissed the curve of her neck with so much pent up frustration, Ichigo let out a moan at the slight twinge at her neck.

"W-What are you – ?" The redhead stared at the blond in confusion over his constant mood changes and exhilarated by his strong suggestive actions. He spun around and slammed her against the door, causing her to gasp in surprise as her racing pulse throbbed against her ears.

"That's it!" Mint screamed finally, quite unaware of exactly what was going on inside the stall and the enormous amount of anguish she had caused the blond. "I swear I'll get you guys good! Hey, are you listening?!"

Little did she know, they really weren't. Ichigo wrapped one leg against the blond, not quite understanding why her body moved on its own as she pulled his hip against her, crushing herself by the impact.

"R-Ryou." She was panting. Her hand reached for the zipper on his vest, quickly pulling it down as she pressed her palms against his muscled chest and hard abs. He moaned as she hurriedly shoved the vest off of him, carelessly flinging it over the door.

"AHHHH!" Mint screeched, trembling at the vest that had landed on her face. Quickly removing it from her supremely red face, her cheeks only continued to grow warmer as she noted the door of the stall knocking back at her with continuous thumps. "W-What are you guys doing?!" She shrieked, bringing her hands to her face. "I-If you steal her virginity Shirogane, I swear, I will come after you and kill you!"

The blond stared down at the redhead who was now tracing her hand all over him. Suddenly realizing what he was doing, he took away his hand which had been cupping her butt. "Oh God." He said, wide-eyed.

Then coughing awkward, he brought his hands away, though they itched to squeeze at the softness yet another time. Ichigo pinned him against the wall; her eyes were seductive and she smacked her lips after tracing her tongue over his chest.

Ryou shivered at the contact, but forced himself to pry her away from him. "First time?"

"Yeah? So what?" she said a bit defensively, wanting very much to bite off the head of the Mint who could not keep her mouth shut.

"I mean, not that…anything was going to happen…" He quickly added, looking away as he brought a hand to his head.

She stared at him for a minute. "I see how it is." She huffed, bringing her hands back to herself. "So now you don't want me."

He stared at her incredulously. How could he _not_ want her? And is that why she thought he had stopped? "No. Actually…I…I mean, me too." He coughed, looking away. "Not that it's any of your concern."

She gaped at him, nearly speaking her thoughts out loud_. _It was a little hard to believe that someone who was now 20 years old and as hot as him with a fanclub of girls throwing themselves at his feet would be as innocent as her. Unless he was gay.

She shuddered slightly. But a gay man wouldn't have touched her like _that_. No, he was most _definitely_ not gay.

He suddenly resumed a cold tone, breaking her away from her thoughts. "Anyway, this should be enough to freak Mint out."

"Get the hell out of there!" Mint was heard screaming yet again, though this time, she stayed away from the door. "Ugh!"

The redhead, taken back by Ryou's words, faked a strained chuckle. "Looks like we got her good huh?"

"Yeah strawberry. I can't wait til this is over though." He said dryly, eyes still not meeting hers.

"Yeah, I agree." She snapped back, feeling the slightest pang of pain at her heart.

"GUYS! It's been a friggin HALF AN HOUR!"

Ichigo offered a sad smile before awkwardly fixing her hair and dress. "So what are we going to do about this?"

"Nothing. We wait for her to leave." He gulped.

"She's waited this long, what makes you think she'll go?"

But before Ryou could answer, they heard Mint shuffling away quietly, huffing her words as she left. "I'll get a picture of them, then none of the Mews can deny it. Pft...trying to make me look like the fool! Gotta go buy that camera…they'll probably be here for the next half an hour anyway. I'll get them good…"

Ryou's ears tinged pink, but he fought it off. Unfortunately, Ichigo voiced his thoughts. "Why would she think we'd still be here in half an hour?"

Ignoring the redhead's question, which left him ill at ease, he turned his attention to the door. Finally releasing a breath, Ryou listened for Mint's footsteps before finally unlocking the door and stepping out. Fixing his ruffled golden hair, courtesy of an overzealous redhead, he calmly walked over to his black vest and bent down to pick it up.

Ichigo followed out behind him, gulping down a clump in her throat. "So everything's according to plan isn't it Ry- Shirogane." She had caught herself just in time.

The blond turned to look at her, his eyes as cold as usual. "I think it's about time for Part 2 of the plan, strawberry." With that, he walked off and Ichigo followed closely behind; both pretending as if everything had been just an act.

* * *

Okay so this chapter was supposed to include more, but I ended up just writing about them getting stuck in the bathroom. Due to those wonderful reviews, I was motivated to write another 'hot' chapter, though I don't plan on overdoing it.

Til next time!


	16. First Victory Against Ryou

Wow, definitely my longest chapter in this story, maybe the longest chapter I've ever written. Sorry for the wait guys! I tried to update as soon as possible with all the reviews I got ;) You guys make me a very happy writer. Thanks for the support!

Anyway, **5+ reviews before the next update**. About another chapter or two before they're finally out of the mall! (sorry it took so long.)

Enjoy the read!

* * *

_Chapter 15 recap_

Ichigo and Ryou are nearly caught in the bathroom, after almost giving into their real lust towards each other. Ryou hides in a stall with Ichigo and waits in excruciating anguish for Mint to leave. Mint finally takes her leave, announcing that she will definitely catch the two of them before mumbling more quietly that she must first go buy a camera.

Yea, real secret Mint. Well, too bad she didn't realize that they had heard her. And of course, being the pair that worked together so well, they _will_ be prepared.

The two head back to the store, but have decided to finally move to Part 2 of the plan... as soon as they catch Mint alone again, that is.

* * *

**Chapter 16****: First Victory Against Ryou**

Ichigo leaned her head back against the full body mirror in the dressing room. She kept both arms limply to her side while she sat on the ground with her legs outstretched in front of her. Staring at the ceiling, her thoughts wandered.

"Ryou…" Her eyebrows arched together in concern. The blond had accompanied her back to the fitting rooms and transformed her back into a human before he dashed off once again, claiming that it was better if they were not seen appearing in the store at the same time. The redhead sighed. What did it matter when Mint wasn't even back yet?

Catching her fingers that had carelessly wandered to her lips, she immediately dropped her hand, frowning at her own recent lack of control over her body. It really didn't like to listen to her lately. "Like when I accidentally kissed back without meaning to…"

She violently shook her head, trying to push away the pleasant memory, but to no avail. "Arg! Maybe Mint's right about the mall, because all of this weirdness only started happening today." She considered it for a moment. "No, he's been acting like this even before we came here."

Her pretty ruby hair flew carelessly around at her fingers that roughly ruffled against the strands. Finally standing up, she heaved a sigh and shot a glance at the mirror. "Stop worrying Ichigo. You're supposed to be having fun!"

She allowed herself a small smirk. Oh, but she really was. No matter how much Ryou had annoyed her in the past, she truly did enjoy his exhilarating touch against her skin, his passionate kiss that left her breathless, and those deep cerulean eyes she could just sink in…

"What?" She glared at her reflection annoyed. "And why can't I like it?"

Further agitated by the image of her reflection glaring back at her, she crossed her arms. "Oh come on! I don't have to like the guy to like making out with him."

The redheaded girl in the mirror looked at her expectantly. "Well, fine. I don't really despise the guy, but he's still arrogantly annoying." She spun around from it. Really, any more of looking at herself, and she'd end up revealing that she secretly had feelings for the blond, or something ridiculous like that.

"Who said that?!" She turned back towards the mirror, narrowing her eyes at the girl. "I so do not!"

Yep, and that was exactly why she felt a tad disappointed when she found out that everything Ryou had done, including their first lingering kiss as humans, was just a part of the bigger plan against Mint.

"Oh shut up you." She sent another cold stare in the mirror, absolutely appalled by the same look sent back to her.

And of course, ignoring her inner thoughts would _really_ help her in this situation.

"What situation?" She groaned, clawing at her face. "Okay, so I am a little worried, but that's because he's my _friend_."

Yes, it was only normal for a 'friend' to tell him that she loved his smile and then hide her face from blushing like crazy. Or to strip him and grope at him like an animal in heat.

"Oh just, ughhh." She turned away from the mirror yet again, resisting the urge to shatter it with a beam from her strawberry bell. Her head throbbed from the mindless banter and she cursed the damn girl in the mirror who kept talking back at her.

"Ichigo, the dress can't be that bad." She heard a voice from the other side of the door – Keiichiro. Whether or not he had heard her scream senselessly to herself, she didn't know.

"Huh?"

But the brunet had not noticed her questioning utter, as he was soon interrupted.

"Keiichiro, what are you doing in the female fitting rooms? I'm pretty sure the baka doesn't need you breathing down her neck to get changed." Ryou's tone was annoyed. "Unless you were trying to catch a peek…"

"Says the other guy standing in here." Ichigo heard Mint chide. "And haven't you done worse things?" The lorikeet whispered to herself, but the redhead's cat ears twitched at the words.

Darn, when did those come out?

"Now why don't the _both_ of you wait outside?" The sounds of fading footsteps signaled to Ichigo that it was safe to step out into the open with her embarrassing dress.

Her hand reached for the handle, but before she pulled the door open, her eyes soon widened in realization that she had 'acted' with Ryou in those clothes. How had she not even noticed then? She had been so concerned over his strange behavior, not to mention a little distracted, that she hadn't had time to consider what she was wearing.

"Ichigo…" Her head shot up at Mint's voice. She heard her sigh. Pulling open the door, the redhead stepped out, just a tad bit worried over Mint's sudden change in tone.

"I have to ask you something." Mint was fiddling with her fingers and wouldn't look her in the eye. For the strangest reason, Ichigo saw her bestfriend actually nervous because of her for the first time. She cocked her head to the side in curiosity.

"Go ahead."

"It's about Shirogane-san." Her ebony eyes darted back and forth. "It's about you guys…" Ichigo gulped quietly, glad that Mint was not looking at her.

"It was you two wasn't it? In the bathroom."

"What are you talking about?" The redhead brought a finger against her cheek and her eyes stared at the ceiling, as if in a blank. But honestly, she could not bring herself to look at Mint. Even if that conniving girl really had it coming to her, it was still difficult to lie to her when she sounded so serious.

"Ichigo, it's okay. If you like him, I'll give you my support. I'll stop pushing Keiichiro to you." Mint clasped her hands against hers, eyes pleading. Ichigo shuffled uncomfortably in her grasp; hearing Mint say that she'll stop continuing her ridiculous attempt to set her up with him was alluring. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the brunet's company, it was just that she didn't like the fact that her bestfriend was trying to force anything on her.

She took a moment to consider it. Wait a minute. She hadn't even reacted to Mint's suggestion that she liked Ry-S-Shirogane?

"Why are you making those faces?" Mint asked.

Ichigo turned her attention to her, finally pulled back to reality. Straightening her expression, she stood tall. It was time for the actress in her to step up. "Look Mint, I have no idea what you're talking about. What about the bathroom? And not to mention," she tried to turn the conversation around on her "I didn't even know you were trying to set me up with Keiichiro." _As if._

"Then why did you turn so red when I asked you about Shirogane-san?"

"W-what? My face was not red!"

Mint neared her face, staring scrupulously at Ichigo's twitching eyebrow.

"Well, it is now."

"I-it's this embarrassing dress!"

"Yeah, _sure_." The redheaded Mew watched as Mint released her hand and scoffed. Storming out of the room, Ichigo's cat ears caught the quiet mumbling escaping from her friend's mouth. "That's why you look as nervous as Shirogane had when you pinned him to the wall."

"W-wait." Ichigo reached a hand after the girl, seeing her walk back into the store. As soon as she had walked past the draped curtain, she spoke."H-he was nervous?"

"Could he have been nervous because of…me?" She relaxed her hand, voice sounding a little more hopeful than she would have liked it to. Dropping her head, her eyes caught the sight of her half-exposed chest in the dress.

She jumped up, giving a small yelp. Her cheeks emanated so much heat, her ears could feel it. Okay, so _maybe_ it might have been because of her. Heck, she made herself nervous in these clothes. She fought back an embarrassing question as she considered her thoughts: _Exactly how much did he see?_

Hold on.

A wide grin crept onto the scheming girl's face. That just meant that she had won didn't it? Mr. Cool-and-Collected-Arrogantly-Smirking-Blond, flustered because of _her?_ Oh, this was better than stressing Mint out.

Ichigo pushed the green curtain aside, stepping out in the store. She stood tall, her head was up and chest out as she gracefully walked into the open.

"Are you sure you were nervous cuz of the dress Ichigo?" Mint raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't seem too nervous now…"

"Eh, whatever." The redhead dismissed as she settled in her new cool and sexy character. It really wasn't that hard to do; just imitate Zakuro's _like-I-give-a-damn_ attitude. And the dress wasn't all that embarrassing if she matched her personality to it.

She made a few more twirls before settling her gaze at the two gaping men who conveniently sat in the bench in front of her. Ryou was staring, jaw-dropped with rosy cheeks on his normally fair colored face. He mildly gulped when he noticed a pair of russet eyes studying him for his expression. The blond turned towards the brunet to whisper, though his eyes still lingered on her. "Keiichiro, I think it's time to redesign the café uniforms."

Yes, Ichigo, there is a chance yet!

_Chance at what? _

"Pftpfthh." She sputtered incoherently from continuing her thoughts. So _not_ cool and totally not matching her new attitude. _Be cool and sexy Ichigo!_ She chided herself, pressing against her sides to smooth out the dress to collect herself. The dress clung to her every curve, ending halfway above her knee and exposing a little more leg than that along her sides.

"W-wow." Keiichiro was staring with his mouth open. Forcing himself back to his usual self, he spoke. "It looks wonderful on you."

"Really?" Ichigo was just the tiniest bit worried that he wouldn't approve. She bit her bottom lip, thinking the dress exposed too much skin. "You don't think it's…inappropriate?"

"No _way - _" He said before coughing. "No, of course not. You look absolutely gorgeous." The brunet said more mildly than before.

Ichigo brought a hand to her mouth to cover her gasp. She could feel her cat ears once again popping out. When did Kei _ever_ say 'no way'?

"Wow baka." The blond jerked up. He wasn't even looking at her. "It sure doesn't take much to get you flustered." He shoved his hands into his pockets with a slight frown on his face before turning around to head out the store.

"Hey you!" Ichigo seethed. Her calm composure was forgotten as she raised a fist at him.

"Don't worry about that. He probably just felt a bit unsettled. It doesn't take much to see how beautiful you are." Keiichiro pulled her to sit beside him. She obeyed, defeated. But her eyes continued following the blond who stomped away while a dazed expression made its way to her face.

"Okay girls. Just put the bags over there." Zakuro announced as she strolled into the store, leading a humungous group of girls who each held one of Ichigo's shopping bags.

"I love you Zakuro!" an orange haired girl squealed before placing her bag in front of Ichigo. Slowly looking up, her eyes met the surprised face of the redhead. "YOU!"

"Reina?" Her russet eyes went wide and her body automatically jumped up.

"Uh, Ms. Reina." Zakuro called with her arms crossed. "That'll be enough for now."

Reina turned to her with sparkles forming in her eyes. "Whenever you need us, just give me a call!" She smiled sweetly before sending a final glare to Ichigo, and then dashed off.

"Excuse me for a bit, but I've got a bone to pick with a certain blond." Zakuro said in annoyance. Before she hurried out of the store however, she gave Ichigo a brief glance and smiled. "Looks good on you Ichigo."

"Yo Zak." That certain blond had returned.

"Shirogane. I'm an idol, not your personal servant!" She grumbled. "And don't call me Zak."

The blond smirked. He noticed the redhead's look of dismay from the corner of his eyes and shrugged. Yeah, yeah. Not a smart move of him. Walking over to the bench, Ryou settled himself uncomfortably beside the brunet.

"So _Shirogane_." Uh-oh. For some reason, the blonde couldn't shake off the feeling of unease over Zakuro's tone.

"Isn't Ichigo's dress sexy?" He nearly fell out of his seat.

"I-um-uh." He could feel everyone's attention on him. "MmHmm." He only managed to mutter as he stared down at the floor. Though as soon as the sound escaped his lips, he shot back up to glare at the smirking idol.

Standing beside her was a smirking Mint with her arms crossed as well. She was like Zakuro's mini double, observing him with those annoying eyes again – giving him that knowing stare. Damn the tricky Lorikeet. When had she recruited Zakuro into her plans?

"Hm, Ichigo." Mint spoke carefully while leaning against the wall. "That dress looks _awfully _familiar. I think I saw it on this slutty girl making out with some guy…" She was provoking the redhead, and Ryou knew it.

He only prayed that she was as good an actress as she claimed. Knowing her usual uncontrollable anger and shrieks of absolute Ichigo wrath of hellfire, he crossed his fingers, waiting for all their plans to be shattered.

"Oh really?" Ichigo asked seeming genuinely surprised. "Aww Mint," she whined. The redhead frowned slightly, giving another twirl in her dress. "I thought you said these clothes were sexy, not slutty. But if you saw a slutty girl wearing it, then maybe I shouldn't wear clothes like these."

Ryou could have killed Mint for saying that.

He turned to glare at Mint with the sharpest most malevolent stare he could muster, only to find that she herself, narrowed her eyes slightly at the redhead.

"Stop denying it! It was you. I know it was you!" Wow. Mint finally snapped. Completely.

Her shrieks barely made the redhead flinch. "Eh? Really Mint what's going on with you lately? You've taken about 12 bathroom breaks, spent just as much time groaning and hugging your head, and your cheeks have been so red lately. Maybe you have a fever? We should really get you to a doctor's or something…"

Ryou stared at the redhead incredulously, impressed. She stretched her two arms behind her casually, and had one foot behind the other as she attempted a cat walk all _too_ successfully. He couldn't help but stare as her slim waist emphasized the movement of her rhythmic hips and nicely plump butt.

Ichigo lifted a hand to the fuming girl's face. Her eyebrows scrunched together. "Hm, no fever." She brought a finger to her cheek and remained in silence for a few seconds before gasping.

"Oh no Mint. You couldn't have a weak bladder, could you?" She stared at the red-cheeked, huffing Mint in feigned shock. Really, to see the strawberry like this – so calm, so in control, so confident, so…_hot_!

"I don't have a weak bladder ICHIGO!" Mint glared at the girl who looked at her innocently.

"Oh Mint. You know that you're my bestfriend, right? I don't care if you do have a weak bladder. It's _okay_. I'll help you deal with it." She clasped Mint's hands protectively, bringing them up between them.

Mint rudely pulled away. "ARG. Forget it, OKAY?"

Ryou noticed the slight wink Ichigo gave him, causing his lips to curl up in another smile. Maybe catching Baka Strawberry Syndrome wasn't so bad after all.

"Mint, again with those accusations?" Zakuro rolled her eyes at the pouting girl. "Goodness, I was with Ryou the entire time, and Ichigo was in the changing room!"

The dark-haired girl turned to look at her idol with surprise. "Well, if you say so oneesama…" She spoke hesitantly at first as if not certain.

"Come on, let's look for more clothes. That dress you picked out was impeccable." As expected, Mint responded with utter glee now completely absorbed in Zakuro's compliment.

Ryou sighed a breath of relief. Maybe Zakuro wasn't so bad after all. Finally Mint would leave them alone! Not that _that_ was going to stop him from going through with his own plans. Besides, the blond couldn't even know for certain if the conniving Lorikeet would stop trying to get his strawberry to fall in love with Keiichiro.

His strawberry?

Wait, when did he get this mixed up? Was he trying to stop Keiichiro from loving Ichigo, or Ichigo from loving Keiichiro? Wasn't this all to stop Keiichiro's mind from turning into a puddle of gooey mush of idiocity? Of course it was! Ryou was just selflessly sacrificing himself in the brunet's place.

Suddenly feeling a sharp stare boring through his back, he spun around just in time to meet Zakuro's eyes and smirk as she walked away. So much for not being that bad. He didn't like that look. She was expecting something from him for covering for the both of them…

"I-I'll go help!" Keiichiro shot up from his seat, running after the two girls.

The blond gulped uncomfortably, knowing that he was alone with his strawberry. He watched Ichigo sway those hips as she walked over. He held his breath nervously. He was being selfless for Keiichiro, _selfless!_

She was getting closer and he could see how the dress hugged at her sides, revealing the graceful 's' along her torso to her thin waist, down her curving hips, and down to her soft appealing legs. His finger itched to trace that outline…

Unexpectedly, Ichigo bent down towards him. Hands still behind her as she motioned to stretch, pushing her chest out right in front of his face. His mouth dropped as he caught another glimpse down the v-neck opening and immediately turned away from her so she wouldn't see. He shuddered ever so slightly_…sacrifice…for…Keiichiro_.

Well, why couldn't he enjoy the process?

"Sexy enough for ya?" She whispered and blew into his ear. He tightly shut his eyes, his breathing grew shallower and faster. He was protecting Keiichiro! He was 'sacrificing' himself for him.

Extending his arms to push the girl away from him, Ryou mildly felt something soft against his hands. "No. And woman, keep those damned things in!"

**POP! **

Yes, that was the way it was supposed to be. Ryou Shirogane was _always_ in control.

He could feel an angry aura from her and found comfort in their normal routine. He opened his eyes, ready to flash another typical smirk of his.

"PERVERT!" Wait, how'd she know? Hadn't he hidden it pretty well?

**SMACK!**

So much for control. The blond continued staring, though now he wore a stupid half parted smile even with the large red imprint of someone's hand across his face. His arms were now at his sides twitching every so often at the memory of the softness.

She crossed her arms defensively, trying to protect her chest and turned away from him. His eyes traced the strands of ruby hair from her head and followed downward to her tantalizing b—

"Butt…" He muttered and immediately wanted to kick himself for giving in to baka strawberry syndrome, one of the symptoms included thinking aloud. Good thing he hadn't said _everything_ out loud, but even letting that last word slip made him worry. She was getting him. She was getting him good.

"Excuse me?" She said, just barely turning towards him.

"But...Ichigo, how am I the pervert if you're the one sticking those things out?" Good save.

She turned red. He smirked.

"Well, you didn't have to go on squeezing them!" Now she was crimson.

"Don't offer them then!" He coughed. Genius comeback, Ryou. As if that excused him from grabbing her breasts, even if it had been completely by accident. He spoke before she could reply. "So you ready for part two of the plan for the rest of this goddamned forsaken day?"

"Just glad that I won't have to deal with your pervertedness anymore."

"Like I _actually_ want to touch you." He shivered slightly, though not because of what he claimed. His hand twitched at his words, remembering the feel of her body against them.

"Whatever." She glared at him and for a second, he swore he could see a gleam of disappointment. His hand reached out on its own, wanting to settle on her shoulder. For all his harsh words, Ryou didn't like that look in her eyes.

His fingers itched to stroke at her silky hair again, and ached to feel the warmth of her skin. Despite her newly arousing allure in that dress, the blond wanted no more than to give her a simple reassuring hug at the moment.

"Ichigo, try these on." He pulled back his hand before the girl could turn around and see. Damn Mint.

No, he corrected himself. Thank you Mint.

When had his plans gone so horribly wrong? When did those moments of pretending to enjoy Ichigo's touch actually become real moments of weakness in which he would completely lose himself? He should be thanking Mint for setting him straight. It was all planned, pretend, fake. It was all a game.

But when he really considered it, hadn't he enjoyed every second of their little games against the annoying dark-haired Mew? Didn't he love holding her since the beginning of their plans?

Ugh. He groaned. It wasn't something he was ready to admit.

Mint stood beside a sales associate who was buried in clothes. The mound of clothes was so large that the stumbling woman who carried them could not be seen.

"What?" He said to the staring Mint, annoyed.

"What'd you do to Ichigo when I was gone?"

"Excuse me?"

Mint raised a hand to her own face as she stared at the red imprint on his face, mock-wincing.

"Uhh, let's try those clothes ne?" Ichigo nervously replied, trying to distract the girl. She hurriedly rushed into the fitting rooms, letting the woman settle the pile of clothes beside her.

Mint had wanted her to come out and pose for each and every outfit, and the redhead had reluctantly agreed when she saw her bestfriend pull a confused Keiichiro over to sit beside the blond who refused to budge after the Lorikeet had said it was for Keiichiro's eyes only. Somehow, Ichigo felt it was planned and that the supposed genius had been tricked into staying.

Already, she could see the intricate web of mind games that were being played among them. She heaved a sigh. Sure it had been fun at first, but now it just seemed tiring. She just wanted it all to be over with so she wouldn't have to deal with any more strangely erotic, nor pleasant thoughts of a certain blond who was too attractive for his own good.

Well, maybe she should just concentrate of having fun. Her new look at least flustered the always composed Ryou, and she undoubtedly won the last round against him. Not to mention, Keiichiro seemed pretty off himself. That was quite the deed to carry out – to be able to affect two usually calm people in such a way.

Ichigo stepped out of the fitting room, ready to strut her long hidden sexiness in the stunning emerald velvet dress. It trailed fluidly behind her and though the dress was lengthy, covering her legs, it was maybe even more revealing than the previous one. The top opened down the middle of her chest into a large 'v' that stretched out to her shoulders. The opening ran down to her belly button, exposing a bit of her flat stomach and the inner curves of both breasts. A green ribbon was tied at the upper portion of her abdomen, allowing the top to stay snugly against her skin.

Ryou and Keiichiro gaped in much the same way, closing their mouths at the same instant, just to have it drop open again as the redhead spun around before settling for a curtsy as she held onto the side of her dress.

"Get…" The blond gulped.

"That." Keiichiro managed to finish his sentence with a slightly dazed expression on his face.

And so began the tedious hour and a half of slipping out of and into several sets of clothes, twirling around, posing and dashing back into the changing room.

"And…"

"That."

They were both staring, though really what had she expected? They were all shopping for her after all. She wore jean shorts and a midriff black vest, while resting her hand against her back pocket. Leaning against the wall, she kept one leg bent as her foot settled on the base of the wall. A more casual sexy look, but still sexy enough to be found in this store.

After being found clad in resplendent dresses and tops that revealed either her nearly bare back, chest, stomach, or other such areas that were usually exposed, Ichigo sighed just the slightest. It was getting just a bit ridiculous.

"Look," She said in a yellow miniskirt and a button up white blouse that she left a little open at the top. "I know this shopping day is for me, but you don't have to pretend to like everything!"

"…Huh?" Ryou raised an eyebrow.

"Um…" Keichiro seemed confused.

"This is pointless." She said nearly groaning. They were as quiet as ever. Couldn't they say anything beyond the 'get that,' 'and that,' or the 'hms' and 'huhs'? "Asking people for their opinions when they're just going to say the same thing over and over again."

"Hmm." Though the 'hms' and 'huhs' were strangely arousing when uttered through the sweet vanilla lips of a certain blond.

"I think you are misunderstanding Ichi-chan."

"Mhmm." There it was again. She groaned at her own lack of willpower as she heard a familiar **POP!** "I agree with Keiichiro." Ryou's continuous gaze left her a little self conscious. She'd recognized that smirk anywhere, heck she could probably feel it without even seeing his face. She soon breathed a sigh of relief when he looked away.

She jumped at the sound of his husky voice. Had it always sounded like that? Or was he intentionally talking like that right now? "You might be right about this being pointless. Just take everything."

So much for relief. She could feel her cheeks grow warm all over again.

"You've looked incredible in everything so far…" Keiichiro chuckled awkwardly, bringing a hand to his head.

"Keiichiro!" Ryou hissed under his breath.

"Yes? I only added on to what you said."

The redhead turned to look at the blond and gave him a small smile, noting the nervous tapping against his knee where his hands rested. "I'm glad to see you guys are talking again. I guess I'll just go gather the clothes then…"

As soon as Ichigo left for the fitting rooms for yet another time, Ryou spun away from the brunet, suddenly realizing he was not speaking to him.

"Why'd you tell her to just buy everything?" The brunet watched him with his normally calm eyes pleading just the slightest, as if hungry for more of what he was seeing.

"Kei, could you really take any more of that?" He looked at his friend. "Because I honestly can't. Not another second…" _of her slim little waist bouncing side to side…_

The brunet nodded in understanding. "I see your point."

Ryou looked away from the rosy cheeked brunet uncomfortably, feeling his cheeks a little warm himself. Darn, he had forgotten he wasn't on speaking terms with him.

"Ryou…" Despite his earlier thoughts, the blond couldn't ignore the sudden urgency in the brunet's voice. "Act soon. Because…if not, I can guarantee that you'll lose her again." He looked at the brunet and observed his eyebrows furrow together as he clasped at his chest.

"W-What are you talking about?"

Wringing at his shirt, Keiichiro spoke again. "You can't really say it's my fault later if you keep denying it now. One of these days…I might start listening to you. Then I wouldn't have to consider your feelings…"

"Keiichiro…" His cerulean eyes opened wide, acknowledging exactly what his friend was trying to say. "You can't be…not you too…" Before he could finish his thought, before he could clarify his position with Ichigo to the struggling brunet, Mint interrupted.

"Oh darnit." She was looking through her wallet. "I might not have enough for the clothes…"

Ryou stared at her incredulously. What happened to the incredibly wealthy Mint?

"Oh don't look at me like that." She groaned, reaching in her bag and patting the sides to find anything she might have missed. "Damn that was an expensive camer-" Suddenly catching herself, she stopped speaking hoping that the blond hadn't caught on.

But rather than reacting to her comment about her new camera, Ryou jumped up from his seat. "How can you not have enough Mint?! What happened to the whole shopping spree for Ichigo?" He groaned, bringing his hands against his head.

"Ichigo?" Mint questioned at his casual use of her name, though he hadn't noticed.

"Yes, Ichigo. Who else were we shopping for?" He said, utterly annoyed. Keiichiro was frowning as well. "Of all stores when we had to run out of money." He grumbled. "She absolutely _must_ have those clothes. Just…I'll just pay for everything okay? Heck I'd –"

Mint had barely heard. "Oh! There it is." She triumphantly whipped out her Platinum credit card, causing the blond to groan at his slightly over reactive response. Good thing she stopped him when she did. _Heck I would've bought the entire store._

"Hmm." It was Zakuro, smiling. When had she gotten there? He wondered a little miserably to himself. Mint might not have noticed what he had said, but Zakuro sure as hell was sharp.

Feeling a little threatened, Ryou wearily watched her. He didn't at all expect what she would say though. Ichigo had merrily hopped out once again, wearing her hair down in a ruffled, naturally careless way. She was still in the miniskirt and blouse and held a huge pile of clothes. The baka had probably forgotten that she was still wearing the store's clothes.

"Yo Ichigo." She jumped. Right, they were in front of the Mews so he couldn't address her so casually. He hadn't even noticed when he felt more comfortable calling her name, nor did he notice when in his thoughts of her, she had slowly become to be known as Ichigo in his head rather than just the regular 'baka' and 'strawberry' that he was used to calling her.

"Where are your clothes?"

"Nya-ni?"

"I said where are your clothes?" He rolled his eyes, slightly stirred by her cute way of saying 'what?' while she walked around in that _very_ short skirt. He swallowed, eyes straying away from her face as they traced her body downward and back up. _Damnit. I __am__ a perv. I hate it when she's right. _

"Here, duh." She stuck her tongue out at him as she held up the pile of clothes. Keiichiro ran over to help her carry them, much to Ryou's annoyance, but he maintained his blank mask.

And then Zakuro spoke. "Let's just have Ichigo stay in those clothes. It is a part of her new look anyway."

Ryou turned to look at Zakuro, nearly teary eyed. _YES! Hell friggin yes!_ But as soon as he realized, he cleared his throat and looked away from the smirking Zakuro, grateful that she possessed no powers of telepathy, though from the way she was grinning at him, it was questionable.

"Oh, my clothes!" Ichigo finally exclaimed about ten minutes too late. She dashed back into the fitting rooms while Mint paid for the clothes Keiichiro helped carry, as well as the outfit the redhead was wearing now.

...Leaving Zakuro and a very uncomfortable Ryou alone together.

"So…you like Ichigo." She said rather than asked.

"Uh, no."

The idol continued watching him with those wolf eyes, wearing him down as he let out a sigh. Taking it as a sign, Zakuro continued to speak.

"So you have no feelings whatsoever? You're not even attracted?" He didn't like that tone of disbelief but knew he probably could not fool her that easily, especially not after all his slips.

"I…I don't know, m-maybe a little?" He mumbled inaudibly. Even so, he finally admitted it aloud, feeling the tightness in his chest loosen up. "I don't know. I can't say yet."

Damn her eyes. She was still sending him that interrogating stare. "Okay, yes, I might be just _slightly_ attracted to her. But I'm a man for goodness sake. And it'd be normal for _any_ man to be attracted to her." He groaned. Now he was making it sound as if he was in love with her. _Any man?_ He really was giving her too much credit. Why'd his stupid tongue have to slip again?

Zakuro continued staring, smirking in amusement and not speaking another word. She watched as the blond gradually revealed everything by himself.

"What? Don't look at me like that. So what if I've never really been attracted to anyone else before? It's still _just_ an attraction, nothing more!" He huffed stubbornly, before approaching Mint and Keiichiro.

"Wow, what's with him?" Ichigo managed to slip out, just in time to catch a glimpse of Ryou stomping away.

"Hurry up Strawberry." Ryou called out rudely to her, with his arms crossed expectantly over his chest. "Zakuro, you too." The wolf girl stared at him blankly.

"Okay, I'll back off. Not one word to her though!" Ryou immediately said.

"Eh?" Ichigo muttered, taking her time with Zakuro.

"Ugh." The blond groaned. "Lettuce and Pudding remember? We still haven't seen them. I'm a little worried something might have happened to them." He said carelessly. He had needed a quick excuse to get the redhead as far away from that scheming Zakuro as possible.

Having her stand so closely next to the purple-haired girl who had such an evil glint in her eyes didn't settle well with him. But maybe he was just paranoid.

"Oneesama, Ichigo, Shirogane-san" Mint waved a hand to them, her eyebrows scrunched together in concern. She was holding her cellphone. "It seems like Lettuce and Pudding are in trouble."

Say what? The blond stared blankly. He hadn't just jinxed them had he?

* * *

Eh, an okay chapter I thought. The two are just beginning to admit their feelings, even if it's a little reluctantly at first. They at least admit that they are in fact, attracted to each other. Only a step away from the whole truth!

Meanwhile, Ryou's cold demeanor is slowly being lost to Ichigo's warmth and her childlike behavior. It isn't as easy anymore to pretend to be emotionless.

Next time on Unspoken Words. What exactly happened to Lettuce and Pudding? What is Part 2 of Operation Blue Jay?


	17. Last Chance

Woot, two updates in a day! I started a new fanfic, my first Shugo Chara fic. It's called The Rise of a New Superhero, if you're interested.

Meanwhile, I would like to thank you wonderful reviewers! I must admit, I found this story easier to write than Starlight towards the end and I think it's because I'm getting more reviews for this one. So thanks again!

Oh right, and I must not forget. I PASSED 100 REVIEWS!! WOOHOOOO. Such extreme AWESOMENESS. I never thought it'd happen!! Thank you lovely people you, for all your gracious comments and regular reviews. I love you all soo much!

This chapter was originally supposed to include another part, but I decided to keep that as a separate chapter. As a result, they won't be heading for the sleepover til after next chapter!

**5+ reviews before the next update**. Enjoy the read!

* * *

Chapter 16 recap

Ichigo tries on a series of super sexy clothes, leaving both Ryou and Keiichiro drooling! She's even reformed her attitude somewhat, donning an _I-am-awesome-and-I-know-it_ way of walking and talking.

Ichigo gets the two to talk due to their mutual attraction to her. And for the second time, Ichigo completely flusters Ryou. Watching the redhead like that gets Ryou to actually admit that maybe she is somewhat hot, and he finally admits out loud to Zakuro that he is attracted to her.

Meanwhile, it seems as if Keiichiro is actually starting to fall for Ichigo himself. Originally, it was only a ploy to get Ryou to realize his feelings, but after talking to her and seeing her in those drop dead gorgeous clothes, he can't resist either! Now Ryou might actually have some real competition...

For a moment, Mint seems to have run out of money, driving Ryou absolutely insane for being unable to buy the clothes at such a crucial time. So he offers to pay everything himself, and perhaps even buy the entire store just to see his strawberry in those clothes again. Mint whips out her credit card, and even though she hadn't heard anything he had said, Zakuro quickly catches on and begins joining Mint in her supposed tricks.

Ryou can't hate Zakuro for it though, since she _is_ the one who convinces Ichigo to stay in those clothes for the rest of the day...

After paying for the clothes, Mint gets a call from Lettuce and Pudding. They have gotten into trouble. What could it be?

* * *

**Chapter 17****: Last Chance**

Lettuce and Pudding settled comfortably in the small theater. After having dragged Pudding away from revealing too much about her feelings for Ryou, the two Mews had wandered around the mall before finding themselves in front of the movie theater.

It was the premier of "Kungfu Showdown," a hot new movie from China, starring the sexiest actors. It had only taken a week for its popularity to sweep across the nation and now it was finally showing in Japan. But this was not at all why Pudding was so excited; she wasn't so jaded as to look forward to the movie because of the main character's good looks. No, she was in it for his skills in martial arts.

Lettuce watched the girl nervously. Pudding was sitting at the edge of her sit, her hands gripping the armrests. This was a special invite-only event – a promotional event that promised the viewers a chance to meet the actor himself after the movie. This of course, greatly worried the green-haired girl. Though one may wonder how the two girls managed to slip into the private theater for VIP guests, Lettuce knew only too well. And that knowledge gnawed at her throughout the movie – so much that she could not even enjoy it.

The green-haired girl sent Pudding a sheepish grin, as they were beginning to introduce the actor. Pudding had nearly choked the ticket seller to death, hopping onto the poor girl so mercilessly in hyperactive monkey mode that if it had not been for Lettuce to take her away, the girl would not be lucky enough to get away with her life. She shuddered. She could only imagine what Pudding would do to the actual actor.

"OWWWW!"

Cross that. She didn't have to imagine.

"Pudding, get away from him!" Lettuce cried in extreme horror as she watched Pudding karate chop the actor's shoulder.

"No Lettuce. This is a duel among the finest martial artists!" Pudding crouched against the floor, with a rare expression of utmost seriousness. "Come Sifu Hao. I have challenged you. As a Master of Kung Fu, you are required to accept!"

Lettuce covered her eyes, hearing a shout from the actor as the room of people bustled towards the door in panic. "I am not Master Hao! That's my character's name for goodness sake. You craz- OWW!"

His security guards immediately ran over to help, but were knocked down in less than 30 seconds.

It took Lettuce the next 20 minutes to get close enough to the actor to stop Pudding. After 20 minutes of vicious beatings, the actor (whose real name was Li Long) was barely breathing but Lettuce had finally managed to latch onto him without getting kicked by Pudding's tornado kicks. Hugging the actor tightly, to her utter embarrassment, Lettuce had finally gotten Pudding to stop attacking before explaining what she had actually done.

The monkey girl looked at her apologetically. "Sorry about that Lettuce."

"It'll take more than a sorry." The security guards grumbled, trapping the two girls in their grip while the others tended to the nearly unconscious actor and sent him to the hospital.

And that was exactly how Lettuce and Pudding ended up locked with the mall's security guards in some unknown and extremely dull room. From there, they had managed to make a call to Mint, hoping that the Lorikeet with her infinite connections could bail them out.

"I'm sorry guys, but there's really nothing I can do." Mint spoke into her cell. "Just wait okay? It won't be that bad. They're probably just keeping you there until things are clarified on whether or not Li Long wants to press charges."

"W-what? How's that not bad?!" Lettuce mumbled in panic. "I- I gotta go Mint!"

The Lorikeet thought she heard someone shuffling into the room on the other end after hearing a cheery Pudding talk of plans of escape. She rolled her eyes. This whole mess of a situation was _so_ Pudding. Pudding's timing couldn't be worse. Even if everything she said was pure nonsense, those security guards might actually take her seriously. And then they'd be in trouble.

Mint sighed, deciding she could only wait for Lettuce's next call. How did she get this role of playing everyone's mother?

"Oneesama, Ichigo, Shirogane-san" She waved a hand at them without knowing why she bothered to tell them. It wasn't as if it would make a difference, but they should still know. "It seems like Lettuce and Pudding are in trouble."

After explaining the situation to them and noting Shirogane's sudden extreme paleness, Mint announced her decision and each of them regarded her words with thought before agreeing that to wait for Lettuce's next call would be the best plan of action.

She turned her attention to Ichigo and Keiichiro who walked behind her and a trailing blond who watched them suspiciously. Maybe nothing really was going on between the redhead and the blond, because if there was, Shirogane would have no reason to act so paranoid around the brunet. She didn't actually want to them to be together, considering Shirogane was saved for Lettuce, but she did enjoy the blond's agitation and nervousness.

Mint groaned, fighting off another headache. This day at the mall hadn't been all that fun for the most part. But then remembering their last stop at the shop and the guys' priceless drooling expressions, a slight curve made its way to her lips. It wasn't all bad. She had at least accomplished Ichigo's new image, not to mention her growing relationship with Keiichiro. And she had managed to see Ryou flustered yet again.

She looked at the redhead approvingly. Even Zakuro had complimented her on her work.

Ichigo was chatting cheerfully away at a smiling brunet. Keiichiro was holding her bags; each and every one of the 25 (the 21 bags from before and now 4 more extra large bulging bags). Mint was impressed. Not once had the chef complained but he continued onward as if he _enjoyed_ carrying the load of clothes. This concept was of course beyond Mint, considering how she never carried anything on her own in her life.

The atmosphere around the two seemed a little awkward. Ichigo wrung her hands anxiously as she walked. The two had fallen quiet, but Keiichiro was staring at her intently, with a new softened expression in his eyes.

"Kei-kun." Ichigo spoke softly, and her eyebrows furrowed together in thought. "You really are like Masaya." She repeated her thoughts.

Ryou suddenly stopped in place, causing Zakuro to nearly walk into him. His crossed his arms and glared at the ground before continuing to walk.

"Is…that a good thing?" Keiichiro watched her with the familiar kind smile. "Is it not painful to be reminded of him constantly?"

"It's a very good thing." She smiled back, causing Keiichiro's own confident smile to falter just slightly. "And no, it's not painful at all. I've become more and more numb to it as the day went by, and I think I have you to thank partially for it."

"That's good to know." The brunet said carefully. He stared at her intently, before speaking again. "Because I am starting to see why Aoyama-kun liked you." Ichigo froze in place and squinted at him briefly before Keiichiro somehow brushed away her searching expression with his reassuring smile.

By this time, Ryou and Zakuro had caught up to the scene. The blond rudely knocked into Keiichiro who had been standing in place with Ichigo. "Whoops, Sorry about that _Kei-kun_." He snarled.

Mint watched on amused. So maybe her plans were not all for naught. Shirogane seemed as agitated as ever. She stood tall and lifted her head, leading the way. What was there to worry about? A plan of Mint's would _always_ work. But just in case, she had that camera handy on her…

Ryou had noticed Mint's smirk before she turned away from them and he was not at all happy with it. But other more important matters concerned him at the moment, such as how Keiichiro's hand now 'accidentally' swept against Ichigo's, causing her cat features to pop out. He walked between them, forcing their hands apart. Turning to the strawberry, he snarled "Practicing for the plans with someone else?"

Ichigo immediately turned red, much to his annoyance. But before he could say anything else, Zakuro pulled him back, resting a hand against his shoulder. "Shirogane-san. You really should think about this. Would a simple attraction make you crazy with jealousy?"

"No way in hell am I jealous over _that_ baka!" He snapped back, causing the wolf girl to roll her eyes over his stubbornness.

"No, no, of course not." She cooed mockingly. A knowing smile crept onto her face. "But you didn't say anything about becoming crazy with jealousy."

The smile transformed into a smirk quite similar to Mints. Ryou's eyes went wide and his eyebrows stretched upward. When had Zakuro become Mint's sidekick in crime? Unable to find the words to speak, he growled before storming towards Keiichiro and snatching away the bags from him.

"_I _will take them." He shot the brunet a challenging look, who only returned his gaze with a somewhat disappointed expression. Then turning to Keiichiro and blocking the redhead, he whispered menacingly "Back off already! I get your point."

"Point? I'm not trying to make a point." The brunet said calmly. "I'm serious about this."

"Serious about what?" Ichigo butted in, confused by the conversation.

"No, you can't be!" Ryou snapped back. "About what you said earlier, I'll admit it _okay_?" He snarled through his teeth. It had taken him all his might from biting off Keiichiro's head, and he had mustered all his courage in order to swallow his pride.

Ichigo was confused as ever, but watched the two with amusement. The atmosphere wasn't exactly inviting, and their conversation seemed tense, but at least they were talking again. This had been what the redhead was hoping for. She couldn't bear to watch the two completely ignore each other as they had done for the past few weeks at the café. Ryou was acting strange again, but it was cute to see him act like a kid.

"Don't you see it's too late now Ryou?" The brunet said, shaking his head.

The blond narrowed his eyes at him without a proper response. How dare he!

Refusing to budge from the snug position from the brunet and redhead, Ryou continued to walk with them, once in awhile shooting vicious glances at the brunet or exchanging quiet threats.

Finally, Ichigo broke the suffocating mood as she finally gave way to a fit of laughter. "AHAHAHA!"

The brunet and blond exchanged confused looks before staring at the redhead awkwardly.

"Oh god. You guys bicker like brothers too! This is absolutely great!" She was laughing with glee, and attempted to hang an arm of each of their shoulders, before giving up and settling to hold their hands since they were too tall for her.

The two immediately turned red at her touch, though being the oblivious Ichigo that she was, she hadn't noticed at all. Their blushes didn't last long since at the very next moment, the redhead brought their hands together, joining them together.

Ryou immediately pulled away with a shudder. "And what do you think _you're _doing?" He asked harshly. "Didn't I tell you that I wasn't talking to Keiichiro? And I don't plan on forgiving him any time soon." And even if he had planned to reunite with his friend, he _still _wouldn't hold his hand like a gay couple.

She stared at him blankly. "No."

The blond rolled his eyes at her. "God, you're slow." He mumbled sullenly. She should have at least been able to tell, even if he hadn't said anything. Though his sulking was more in part because of his own mistake.

"Forgive me?" The brunet questioned.

"No."

"I was not asking for forgiveness. I was wondering when I ever did. I don't recall every apologizing to you."

Ryou growled. That was exactly the problem.

Ichigo drew back just the slightest, a bit hurt by Ryou's harsh words. Keiichiro walked over and slipped an arm over her shoulder comfortingly causing her to blush. This of course, only agitated the blond even further. Why the hell weren't his plans working? Why did it seem to him like Mint was winning? Why?

"Get away from her!" The blond pulled Ichigo back, wrapping an arm protectively around her. So heated in his need to knock the brunet senseless, he hardly noticed the appearance of Ichigo's cat ears to Zakuro's dismay.

Zakuro and Mint watched on in the distance with much interest, now absolutely certain about feelings that the blond would still not admit to himself. "Looks like we need to find someone new for Lettuce," Mint said mildly in the background, but only Zakuro heard.

"Why should I?" The brunet remained calm, and stood still. He didn't flinch under Ryou's sharp gaze.

"What's going on?" Ichigo chirped meekly with her head still down. She let her eyes look up at the fuming Ryou and a Keiichiro who seemed to challenge him. Never had she seen either of them like that before, and it was beginning to scare her. Ryou was never so openly angry and Keiichiro seemed a little more stubborn than usual.

"Tell her, Ryou." Though the brunet said the words confidently, he winced just the slightest, bringing a hand over his chest. "I'm giving you the opportunity now. I've already given you too many chances. If you decide to relinquish this one as well, you should be prepared for the consequences."

"Tell her what?!" Ryou snapped, hating every second of this grilling. His eyes shot daggers at the smirking Mint and Zakuro, who had now settled on a couch in a waiting area and watched them like it was some kind of dramatic soap opera.

Gee great. Now a crowd was gathering around them as if they actually were watching the filming of some sappy soap.

"Ryou!" Keiichiro's voice was sharp. "She deserves to know!"

"Tell her." Zakuro spoke from where she sat. The idol was only confirming the crowd's suspicions of the supposed filming that was happening in the mall.

Ichigo's russet eyes darted between the two figures in extreme worry. "Tell me what?"

She stared at the blank faced Ryou. He looked away.

"Oh God. It must be bad!" She suddenly cried, bringing her head to her hands. Keiichiro sounded urgent and even Zakuro pressed on. "I- I'm not going to…" She choked back a sob suddenly.

Ryou, Keiichiro, Zakuro and Mint turned to stare at the redhead incredulously.

"Going to what?" Ryou asked, glad to have the conversation being led elsewhere. Everyone was holding their breaths.

"I'm not going to…_DIE_ am I?!" She shrieked suddenly. The crowd gasped, shaking their head in dismay and pity.

"Huh?" He crossed his arms, now a little calmer. "Of course not you baka."

"Are you sure?" She grabbed his arm, eyes pleading. "Are you _absolutely_ certain? There's nothing wrong with the wildcat genes? Nothing's gone haywire? I'm not going to morph into some monster?"

Mint watched with a gaping mouth. The idiot girl had been only seconds away from knowing the truth, though Mint wondered whether her bestfriend would even want to hear that piece of information, considering she had been calling Keiichiro's name in her sleep and not the blond's. The dark-haired girl shrugged. Well it wasn't as if they were encouraging Shirogane to confess so that they could live happily ever after- at least she wasn't. It was far from that. She just wanted to make him suffer as much as he had made her suffer with his sneaky plans.

"Please don't look at me like that, Oneesama." She pouted slightly. Who could blame her for wanting to get back at the blond? She wasn't being evil, just spiteful.

The blond stared at the redhead, amused. It was great that she was so slow sometimes. Made things a whole lot easier for him. (Or harder, depends on how you look at it.) Well since he wasn't trying to admit his feelings or anything of the sort, he decided that her obliviousness was definitely to his advantage.

Keiichiro walked over to Ichigo and gave her a slight tap on the head. "Of course not Ichi-chan."

Ugh. Ichi-chan, Ryou said mockingly to himself.

"Rest easy. I can assure you that your genes are absolutely stable." His smile warmed her and settled her fears. She fell against the comfort of his chest and breathed out a sigh of relief. The brunet looked up at the blond, eyes dancing with triumph. (Or at least this is what Ryou saw, but he _could_ just be paranoid.)

"Keiichiro!" The blond hissed.

"You can tell her now…or I _could_ take her away." The brunet mused, wrapping his arms around Ichigo. The near sobbing redhead was deaf to his words, though Ryou was certain that if she had heard, her cat features would immediately pop out.

"Tell her what?!"

"I'll even make it easy for you. Do you love Ichigo Momomiya?" He pushed the girl slightly outwards, to get her attention. His words were clearly enunciated, each syllable was clear to the nervous viewers watching from the side. A crowd of people held their breaths yet again, waiting for an answer instead of another ridiculous interruption.

Ryou saw Ichigo watching him with her eyebrows furrowed together.

"I-I Of course not! You're an absolutely idiot." The blond sputtered at the brunet, trying to deny it as forcibly as possible so that no one would bother him again. "I hate the girl, how can you even think that I'd _love _her?"

As soon as he said it, he regretted it. Ichigo stepped back, eyes wet as she brought a hand over her mouth to cover her appalled expression. "I-I q-quit!"She spun around and dashed away from them.

Ryou reached out a hand, almost managing to grasp her shoulder. But it was too late.

* * *

Darn, so much for writing about Part 2 of the plan which concludes their tricks on Mint. That will have to come next chapter. It concludes the whole mall scenario. I guess it can be considered the climax of their day at the mall.

I can't believe I'm already at 17 chapters! It still feels like I'm just beginning the story.

Next up! Ichigo gets a fanclub after giving up on the plans?


	18. Living the Nightmare

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

Yay and update! I wanted to post it sooner, but this chapter turned out incredibly long, I think it's the longest chapter I've ever written. I wanted to post it as soon as possible considering where I had left it off (I wouldn't want someone to do that to me either). So I tried making it worth the wait.

Enjoy the read! Same rules as always, **5+ reviews before the next update**!

* * *

_Last time, on Chapter 17:_

Lettuce and Pudding are taken in by security after Pudding beats up a famous actor whom she has sent to the hospital. Ryou's jealousy kicks in again when Ichigo repeats that Keiichiro is like Masaya. And it flares at an all time high when Keiichiro mentions how he now understands why Aoyama liked Ichigo. The brunet manages to distract the girl from thinking too much into it, but then the two continue onward with some light flirting; their hands brushing against each other. Ryou interrupts as soon as he sees this and stubbornly walks between the two.

Zakuro confronts Ryou about his jealousy but he denies it. Finally Ryou confronts Keiichiro to back off and that he gets his point. But it turns out that Keiichiro is no longer doing this to get the blond to realize his feelings. Ichigo's caught in the middle of this, but she ends up bursting out in laughter thinking that they really are like brothers. Taking their hands in hers, to which the both of them blush like mad, she tries to get them to hold hands. Ryou pulls away and yells at Ichigo. Like he'd want to look like a gay couple with someone he despised so much at the moment.

Of course, Keiichiro is there to comfort the girl and Ryou, being the jealous pretend boyfriend that he is, snaps! Keiichiro finally confronts the blond and demands that he tells Ichigo. When Ryou plays dumb, the brunet finally asks him whether he loves her, in front of all the mews and a huge crowd of bystanders. He hates being in the center of attention and hates the grilling and says what he thinks will get rid of everyone in the fastest way possible.

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"_I hate the girl, how can you even think that I'd __love __her?"_

_As soon as he said it, he regretted it. Ichigo stepped back, eyes wet as she brought a hand over her mouth to cover her appalled expression. "I-I q-quit!" She spun around and dashed away from them._

_Ryou reached out a hand, almost managing to grasp her shoulder. But it was too late._

* * *

**Chapter 18****: Living the Nightmare**

A 20 year-old genius blond expertly weaved through the cramped, busy path of the mall. The large stampede of overzealous fan girls was now trailing off behind him, further and further away as Ryou led the maddening chase. Giving a final glance behind him, he smirked at the open space behind him. Having to escape from infatuated females and the occasional males _--shudder--_ for a couple of years now, that is- since he had hit puberty, Ryou had long mastered the art of evasive walking. Even so, he had to admit that he had undoubtedly been delayed.

The image of Ichigo's back as she walked away lingered in his mind. It was why he had run off from the others without so much as an explanation - though he was certain they had a good idea of where he was heading. For a brightly colored redheaded girl, Ichigo sure was hard to find. Really, how many people in Japan had flaming red hair like hers?

Ryou growled inwardly, agitation getting the best of him. Yet he still could not find her within the confines of a mall smaller than Mint's house, though in the mall's defense, Mint's house _was_ unusually massive. He paced awkwardly, hands stuffed into his pockets. That is until finally, his gaze fell onto a large crowd.

Normally, he would have passed by it without another thought but for some reason, this particular group of people peaked his interest. Ryou's blue eyes scanned the crowd before widening in revelation.

Before him stood a sea of teenagers – all male, ranging anywhere from the ages of 15 to 25.

"She can't be…could she?"

Oh, but she _is_ Ryou.

At the center of the crowd of fawning boys was a lone figure. Ichigo's hair had fallen over her face, hiding her tearful expression. Her lips trembled as she fought off another sob.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing here alone?" The speaker was a raven haired man around Ryou's age. His eyes were dark with a tinge of red, but he wore a soft expression in the cold unfeeling lighting of the mall. His tone was smooth and thick like honey.

Voice nearly cracking, and not in the least bit threatened as she was very distracted by her own thoughts, she replied. "Getting away from a jerk."

The crowd murmured with interest and whispers from the sea of guys floated in the air, though Ichigo was deaf to their words.

"Sounds like she's talking about her boyfriend."

"I've got a chance then!"

"No way, she's totally out of your league."

"That guy was an idiot. She's so damn hot, why'd he leave her alone for a second?"

"Will you grace us with your name?" The raven haired man said to the redhead, kneeling on one knee to remove her hair from her eyes.

"Ichigo Momomiya." She muttered quietly with a sad smile on her lips.

"Momomiya-san, I can keep you company instead, if you'd like." He offered a small grin and held out his hand. There was a rustling among the crowd as cries of opposition rumbled through. But there was one voice that stood above the rest.

"_Like hell you will_." Ichigo heard a threatening snarl and raised her head. Her eyes fell upon a scowling Ryou whose frighteningly sharp glare would most likely pierce through the back of the man's head.

"Let's get out of here." The blond grabbed her wrists while she continued to stare on still dazed. Her vision blurred over with tears and she didn't know whether she could trust what she saw.

Finally planting her feet to the ground, she roughly pulled her hands back. "I thought you hated me." She said, voice harsh and cold. Ichigo could barely recognize it herself. She narrowed her eyes at the blond, waiting.

"Ichigo!" He sighed exasperated. She stirred ever so slightly at his use of her name. "Just come with me will you?!"

"No." She bit her lower lip. She mustered the strength to speak again, nearly choking on her words. "I already told you I quit."

Ryou furrowed his eyebrows together. The redhead continued to glare at him. This was what he wanted wasn't it? She thought bitterly to herself. Why did he even bother coming after her? It was just making things more difficult for her.

She gulped at his silence.

Closing her eyes to hide her tears, she screamed. "You can be happy now okay? You'll never have to see me again. So don't come looking for me. I want to spare you the trouble and pain of seein-"

"That doesn't make me happy at all!"

"-g my face! W-Wait what?" She opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of Ryou's pained expression. "W-what do you mean by that?" She held her breath, waiting for his answer. There just had to be _something, _especially when his eyes looked like that.

"I-I mean, why w-would I be happy if my only actually working employee quits?"

Her eyes widened before she let out another scream, not at all noticing his stutters. "YOU JERK!" The redhead pushed through the crowd of murmuring people trying to get as far away as possible.

Ryou groaned, grabbing at masses of his hair. God, he was an idiot.

"Damnit Ichigo!" He ran after her, but was blocked by the crowd defending her.

"Get out of my way!" The redhead mildly heard his voice, but continued rushing onward without a backward glance. Why should she care anyhow?

Eyes flowing with an unending stream of tears, she blindly walked forward, rudely knocking into people without even apologizing. But she couldn't care less at the moment. She needed to get away. She wanted to bawl like a baby as soon as there was no one around.

She made her way to a single white bench against the wall by the elevators in the corner. It was quiet here. People rarely passed through here since it was so far off from the main stores.

"What a jerk!" She fumed. Then sighing, she turned her body towards the elevators, hiding her face from being seen. She leaned her head against her arm which she rested across the top of the bench. "Why do I care so much anyway?" She hiccupped. "I always knew he hated me."

She heard someone settle beside her. Well, whatever. People can sit where they want and it wasn't like she had to talk to or pay attention to someone just because they were next to her. "Heh, maybe they're just as depressed as me…" she whispered quietly to herself. Somehow that idea made her feel a little better.

"I am." A soft whisper responded. Before Ichigo could turn around to get a look at the speaker, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, pulling her backwards into someone's chest. She didn't struggle, feeling just so tired and weary from everything that happened that day.

The redhead sighed for a moment, knowing that she should be freaked out by the fact that a random stranger was hugging her. Under normal circumstances, she'd transform to Mew Strawberry and beat the living crap out of any pervert who'd dare touch her like that. (Well, not really _any_. Ryou and Keiichiro somehow got around it.)

Her mind screamed for her to fight, to resist, but her body refused to move. For some reason, it enjoyed staying just like that, as if it remembered this touch.

These warm, strong arms and this sturdy chest that seemed to heave up and down with such a familiar rhythm…

This scent she wanted to sink in…

This warmth that she was losing herself to…

"I don't hate you Ichigo." The low rumble of his voice trembled ever so slightly against her ears.

"R-Ry-SHIROGANE?!" She nearly jerked up if not for the arms still holding her back.

He breathed out a sigh that tickled her face, causing her cat features to pop out. "It's Ryou."

"R-Ryou! What are y-you doing here?" Damn sputtering tongue. Damn cat genes. How could she sound angry if her body revealed more than she wanted to? It had taken her every ounce of strength to get out of there without completely breaking down. She knew her tone sounded somewhat hopeful, and she hated herself for it.

"Shh. I told you this once before. Let _me_ be the one to comfort you for once, not Keiichiro." He raised a hand to her cat ears, playing with them between his fingers.

Ichigo wanted to let out a blissful purr, but there were more serious matters at hand.

"That's a little hard for me to do…" She trailed off. How could it be easy if _he's_ the reason she needed comforting to begin with?

Ryou winced. "Look Ichigo. I didn't mean what I said."

She struggled, trying to get out of his grip. She didn't want to be caught in his arms while they were talking. The redhead knew that his lingering touch would affect her thinking. Not to mention, she had to consider the dangers of giving in to her cat pleasures, though by now her feline features were gone.

"Will you let me go?"

"No. I won't let you go." She stopped her attempts suddenly, noting the double meaning. But…he couldn't have meant it like that right?

"I don't hate you. I never have."

"Then why'd you say it?!" She screamed, still trying to struggle out of his arms. Part of her had always secretly thought that all their antics were just fun and games, but the moment he had actually announced that he hated her, her heart wrenched in pain. "Let go!"

His grip tightened. "No."

"Shirogane! It's nothing okay? Just because you felt guilty about making me cr-" She caught herself just in time. There was no way she'd admit that _he _was the reason she was crying. "I mean, for me running off, you didn't have to come after me."

"That's not it!" He let go, resting his hands on her shoulder as he turned her around to face him. His expression was as serious as ever.

"Why'd you run away?

"I…" She quickly looked away from him, and took a deep breath before speaking. "Geez I don't know!" Frustrated, she pulled away his arms. _Why_ had she? _Because of what he said._

But why was she _this_ upset about it? A couple of days ago, if someone told her that Shirogane was going to say that he hated her, she'd easily scoff it off and reply with a "Duh, now tell me something I don't already know."

"You DO know. You just won't admit it!" (A/N: How ironic that he's saying this.)

"Arg. Just…don't push me there." Ichigo spoke quietly, more for her sake than for anyone to hear.

"Push you where?"

Her hands gripped the edge of the bench, knuckles turning white with the pressure. She could feel her pulse throbbing at her fingertips where she had pressed down against the white-painted wood so forcefully.

"Tell me." He lifted a hand to her chin, catching her gaze.

The moment Ichigo lifted her russet eyes to meet his pleading cerulean orbs, she silently cursed him for pressing on; for pushing her _here_, in this moment of realization that her nightmares had come true. Why did he have to look at her with those eyes?

Her fingers twitched, itching to cup his face so that she could bring her lips against his own. She knew that she had finally crossed that line of pure attraction into something deeper. "Y-you've made my nightmares come to life."

"W-what do you mean?" He choked the words and took his hand away from her chin.

_For making me fall for someone who could never love me._ She was beginning to do what she was convinced would be the last thing she would _ever_ do – like Ryou. And she hated herself for it, almost as much as she hated him for not returning those feelings.

Ha! As if he'd like someone he thought was an idiot. Asking him to not hate her was probably hard enough as it was.

"Why are you here?" Ichigo contained her trembling voice, hushing it to a low icy tone.

It seemed to have done its job, causing the blond to finally take away those damned eyes off of her.

"I've never seen you as just a useful employee or weapon."

"What does that have to do with anything?" She snapped, finding herself despicable for stirring at those words.

"Everything. You're more than just that. You're a…" He paused for a moment, searching for the word. "…friend."

"Ugh." Somehow, this really didn't make her feel that much better. Sure, the blond had now clarified that he didn't hate her, which was exactly why she had ran off to begin with, but just _friends_? She shuddered at the thought.

"No, you're more than that." Her head shot up, once again waiting for him to explain.

He folded his arms behind his head and leaned back, resuming his typical demeanor. "For what it's worth Ichigo, you're the next closest thing I have to Keiichiro. That is, next closest thing to _family_."

"Family?" What the hell was that supposed to mean? Was she like a sister to him or something? This was worst than being just friends!

She groaned. A girl could only take so much of getting her heart completely smashed multiple times after waiting for an honest explanation.

"So please Ichigo, don't quit."

"Huh?" The redhead was still dazed, still working out the words in her mind. The double meaning of the phrase he had said earlier, was that just him speaking carelessly without thinking? Being next closest to Keiichiro, whom he wasn't even talking to now…was that even something to be taken as a compliment?

Goodness. Analyzing Ryou language was impossible.

"You gonna make me say it again, strawberry?" His eyebrows were furrowed in agitation.

"Yes."

He groaned. "Which part?"

"All of it." A smirk played across her lips. If she couldn't understand him, she'd just have him repeat everything over again.

"Well, nice to see you're feeling better." She was about to open her mouth and say that she wasn't, but he inched towards her face, causing a light blush to creep on her cheeks. Then as expected, he lifted a hand and flicked her on the nose.

"I'll just repeat the important parts, so listen carefully and remember it well. Because there's no way I'll admit to it, much less ever say these words again." He jumped off from the bench and took a deep breath. Back facing Ichigo who still remained seated and watched him curiously, he began to speak.

"I don't hate you. So…" he turned around, bending slightly as he offered a hand. "Friends?"

Ichigo stared at him blankly. "That's what you'll never admit to? That you don't hate me?!"

She must have worn a very fierce expression because the blond immediately replied.

"No, I mean…" he brought the hand awkwardly against his head to hide his pink tinged ears. "…about the other stuff before, you know?"

No, she didn't know.

"That you're uh, more than a friend." She rolled her eyes in annoyance. Yeah, yeah, yeah, more like family. –_shudder- _

"So," he lowered his hand back down, once again offering it to the girl. "Shall we shake on it, friend?"

Ichigo sighed. Being friends was still better than being enemies, no matter how agitating it was.

"Friends." She reluctantly brought her hand against his. She just knew that she would regret this. Would she be able to stay so near him knowing that the unfortunate gap between them would never close? Was she signing herself into a slow emotional suicide?

"Now, it's your turn to answer some questions." He plopped back down beside her with a wide grin sweeping across his face.

His genuine smiles really were something. Somehow they just pushed away the cloudy darkness in this quiet little corner of the mall. Already, she could feel a warm, calming sensation spread through her body as if his smiles secretly encouraged her and supported her.

He coughed suddenly instead of beginning his interrogation and she noted a rosy tinge appearing on his cheeks.

"So you really did mean it when you said you loved my smiles?"

What the- ? Ichigo suddenly cupped her gaping mouth. She did it again didn't she? Talk out loud. Stupid, stupid girl. Exactly how much had she said?

"Oh? There was more?" He turned to look at her, his typical smirk back in place.

"N-no, what? I didn't say anything!" She sputtered, now bright red. "Y-you must be hearing things on your own again Shirogane!"

"It's Ryou." He said calmly, smirk unending.

"So what were you planning to ask, Ryou?" Okay, so she was not prepared to answer him honestly yet, but at the moment, anything was better than this and she needed a quick distraction.

"Are you still quitting from the café?" His lips tightened into a thin line.

"Huh?" What was he talking about? "I never wanted to quit working there."

"But you said that I wouldn't have to see you again…"

"I was talking about the plans against Mint!"

"You said I'd _never_ have to see you again. And then you told me not to come looking for you…" His voice was uncertain now.

"Really?" How'd he even remember exactly what she said? She didn't even remember this. "I meant for today. And obviously, if we're not going on with the plans, there'd be no reason for you to look for me."

"Hm. You sure?" He studied her face, raising a hand to his chin inconsideration.

She shrugged. "It just slipped. I'm not really all that careful with words when I'm angry."

"I…see."

There was something about his voice that signaled her to look at him. And then she saw the same softened expression on his face that she had seen weeks ago when she had told him about Masaya and he had suddenly hugged her out of nowhere. The same softened look spread across his face when she had scrapped her knees and he had hurriedly gone to search for the first aid kit. Or earlier this morning, when he had gently checked her ankles…

She mentally slapped herself for these thoughts, finding that she was delving deeper and deeper into this emotion that was already quickly exceeding a simple 'liking' and developing into…dare she say it… _Love._

Her thoughts wandered back on Ryou, playing with the idea that brought her lips into a smile. "Were you worried?"

"Would you want me to be?" He was suddenly inches from her face and had one hand against her back pulling her close. Her breathing sped up, noting the softness of his touch that made her shiver with delight. She stared into his beautiful eyes that seemed to sparkle with hope as he watched her lips.

Hope for what? Surely not for a kiss…right?

"Yes." Her voice slipped her thoughts on its own and she could have cursed herself for all her stupidity. Right after she had decided never to admit her newly discovered feelings out loud, knowing full well that they were just friends, her stupid mouth was doing it again.

"Hmm, Strawberry?" His seemingly innocent question was arousing. Couldn't he have done without uttering those damned 'hmms'? Only he could make her heart flutter with mushy emotions and then skip a beat from excitement at the very next moment.

"W-what?" She couldn't stop staring at those eyes.

"Nothing, just wondering what strawberries taste like."

Before she her mind could even make sense of his words, his lips was upon hers. She purled at the soft sweetness that played across her own hungry lips. His familiar scent surrounded her and overwhelmed her. Her body went limp in his arms as she let herself sink into ecstasy. An electric shock permeated through her spreading from the simple contact of his mouth. For all its innocence, with his lips pressed lightly onto hers, she was no less exhilarated.

Just as she felt as thought she couldn't handle the wave pulsating through her body, she opened her mouth slightly. She _wanted_ him, there was no denying it and the kiss had gotten up to the point where she couldn't just pretend he was nothing to her. She had resisted for so long – all those times they 'acted' she had fought off the strong need to kiss the living breath out of him, the _desire_ she never seemed to have around Masaya.

And now, she was finally letting down all her inhibitions. To hell with holding herself back. If they were kissing anyway, she may as well make it worth it.

She pushed forward, tongue pressing against his closed lips just as she nearly transformed. He jerked slightly and she wondered for a moment whether he was wincing at her sudden forwardness. But before that thought could linger, he parted his lips allowing her access. Her heartbeat raced. He had let her in.

Her tongue explored the cavern of his mouth as her hand laced through his silky hair. She could feel him hugging her closer, bringing her body closer against his as his hands began to stray from her chin down to her neck and stroking it up and down with just the right amount of pressure. She let out all her pent up frustrations, desires, inhibitions pushing forward – kissing as she's never kissed before.

And then he did the unthinkable. For the second time they kissed as humans, he kissed her back with just as much ardor. She thought she was going to explode from the sensation of his tongue softly prying and searching through her mouth which she had easily let him into. She unwillingly let out a soft moan to release some of the tension. Her heart threatened to thump out of her chest entirely as she felt his other hand running up her leg and into her skirt.

Somewhere along the way, the sweet innocent kiss had turn into a hungry need for each other. The familiar warmth spread from her abdomen, threatening to complete overtake her body. She let her fingers travel under his shirt as she pressed herself into him; they itched to explore his body just as her tongue was traversing through his sweet welcoming mouth. She longed to know every part of him and slowly slipped a hand down his back, ever so slowly into his pants.

"Oh Shodding Mew." He jumped up, lifting her hands from the wrist just as it was traveling to the front. He turned away from her.

"I-uh. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to…let it get that far." He was breathing hard, chest heaving up and down to catch his breath.

Those words made her smile. Even if he didn't like her, she apparently _had_ aroused him. Well, if that was the case, all was not lost.

"Baka, stop smiling like that." He snapped at her to fight away the warmth of his cheeks, though a similar smile played on his own lips at the very next moment.

"Ryou…" she cooed his name seductively, stroking a hand against his face. It was burning despite its dull tinge of pink.

His tensed face loosened at her touch and he stared at her somewhat hopelessly.

"I take that back about quitting. I want to continue with the plans." Ichigo smiled at his surprised expression. So none of this may be real, their whole act to get Mint. But it was better than nothing at all. And after that kiss, she was almost certain she had felt something from him – even if it was just pure lust.

As long as there was a chance, she was going to make him fall for her hard. Just as hard as he had made her fall for him.

"Are you sure?" He held his breath. "You don't have to force yourself like you did before."

Darn. Why hadn't she appreciated all those pretend make out sessions when she had the chance? Now, they had already moved beyond that and Part 2 of their plans was nowhere nearly as physical.

"Yes, I'm sure." It still had its own perks though. And she would be sure to take this opportunity to claim him.

Ryou seemed a bit uncertain at first, but gave in. "Fine. Wait here, I'll be back."

She watched him walk away, groaning slightly. This was self inflicted torture! She was just about to give herself another taste of what it would be like to be with Ryou, only to know that it would never happen!

After a few minutes of agitation and silent chiding at herself, Ichigo saw Ryou return with an ice cream cone.

"For the lady." She raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously.

"No, it's not poisoned. I'm just being more gentlemanly." Since when had he ever cared about being gentlmanly?

He stuck his hand out to offer the cone, and haughtily looked away. "It's strawberry flavored if you were wondering."

She snatched it from him suddenly, eyes glowing with glee.

"Haha." He let out a soft chuckle. "You really are a pig."

She glared at him as he sat back down beside her while she took bites out of the ice cream. Then, her eyes gleamed with an evil glint. "Would you rather I eat more like a lady then?"

"Like I care. You're a pig, but my pig nonetheless." She cringed as her cat ears popped out expectantly. Stupid Ryou for saying things so carelessly. He really had no idea that his words affected her so much.

Her cat ears twitched in surprise at his hand suddenly rubbing against them. "Ryou-nya _purrr_…" she attempted to whine for him to stop, but the content rumble at her throat inadvertently escaped and made its way to his ears.

"Yes?" She shivered at his husky voice. The word rolled off his tongue so seductively.

Wait. No, no, no! This wasn't going where she wanted it to. How was she supposed to win him over if she couldn't faze him out? How did things fall back to their normal place (or nearly normal place) with him in control again?

Ichigo held in her purrs with all her might, almost whimpering and nearly at tears with the tremendous effort. He looked at her curiously, with a small frown donning his lips.

She chomped on the ice cream, focusing entirely on it.

"Owie…brain freeze!"

He rolled his eyes at her. "Why don't you eat ice cream like a normal person?"

"O-okay…" She said, rubbing her temples slightly. "Why'd you buy me ice cream anyhow?"

She licked the corner of the cone, bringing her tongue to the top of the ice cream to shape the tip. He was leaning casually against the bench.

"To cheer you up."

"Oh." She continued eating, a little curious. She hadn't seemed _that_ sad then had she? Considering she had just finished almost making out with a certain blond…

"Don't give me that, 'oh.' I could definitely tell something was up with you." He said accusingly, before sighing. Bending forward against his knees, he looked as though he was deep in thought.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ryou finally turned around to look at Ichigo. "Just kidding, it's part of the plan, baka."

She glared at him, resolving not to speak to him again.

And for a few minutes of silence, it worked.

"C-can you please stop that?"

"Stop what?" Her russet eyes darted away from the ice cream briefly.

"Stop eating it like that."

"Eh? Like _what_?" She curled her tongue against the tip of the ice cream. "And besides, you're the one who told me to eat it like normal."

"T-That's not normal." He gulped, to which she had no way missed. Oh? A smirk traced her lips.

"But it's the only way to eat it if I don't want a brain freeze." She whined.

Lick, lick, lick.

"Oh Jesus." He spun around away from her.

HA! Take that! Ichigo was now smiling with utter glee. In the very next moment however, he was facing her again, with a gleam in his eyes that immediately silenced her and made her draw back suddenly.

"It's dripping…" He dove in and cautiously licked the other side while her tongue was still making contact with it.

"R-Ryou!" She stammered, hand now shaking nervously only making the ice cream drip further. He drew his lips across the base of the ice cream, before slowly drawing his tongue up.

"Hmm. Strawberry." At this point, our little heroine was bright beet red and totally speechless.

Luckily for her, or not so luckily, her embarrassing moment was soon interrupted with a loud shriek.

"Y-You bitch!" Reina, in all her raging glory, snagged the cone from Ichigo's shaking hand and pressed the sticky pink substance into her chest. "You're just a slut underneath!"

The redhead stared at her dumbly for a few minutes barely noticing the sudden coldness against her chest and Ryou's eyes widened at her actions. Finally registering what was happening, Ichigo shot up and swung her hand against Reina's face.

Reina lifted a hand to her now swollen and red face, glaring at the girl.

And then Ichigo did something that surprised them all. She looked up apologetically, eyes wide as if she had just realized what she had done.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She jumped in place. "Let me help you with the swollenness."

She lifted the cone from her chest, and dug it into the orange-haired girl's face.

"Let me help you with that." The blond's voice caught the attention of both girls. Reina looked at him hopefully, with a shadow of a smile beginning to form.

He stood up from his seat to face the girls, before finally inching towards Ichigo and lightly licking away the ice cream from her chest. "R-Ryou!"

**Pop!** So much for hiding her cat features from other people…

"B-bitch! Slut! G-get away from Shirogane-san!" She cried, shoving Ichigo away from Ryou. She barely paid any attention to the emergence of the redhead's cat ears and whipping tail.

Sending a threatening glare at Reina, the blond spoke. "I already warned you." He bent slightly toward Ichigo who now stood still so stiffly and glowed so brightly red that she almost looked like a streetlamp. He continued tracing his tongue at her exposed skin from her partly opened blouse.

"I let you slide last time, but this was going too far. Don't you ever come near me or Ichigo again, or else I'm filing a restraining order."

Bursting into tears, Reina ran off without another word. Ichigo would have almost felt bad for the girl, if not for the girl's utter bitchiness.

"Good thing I have a jacket huh?"

"Excuse me?" Ichigo watched on stupidly, tail twitching slightly at the memory of Ryou's tongue sliding from her neck downwards.

"Why don't you go wash up?" He said casually, unzipping his vest.

"W-what are you d-doing?!" She gaped at him, unable to take her eyes away.

He smirked at her unease at his bare chest. "You like?" Slipping out of it, he threw the black vest at her, sending it flying towards her face.

"R-Ryou!" Her screams were muffled by the cloth. He plugged his ears and closed his eyes awaiting for the typical screeches. But her screams didn't come.

How could she when she found herself sinking in his scent? The jacket smelled just like him…and even though it completely covered her head, she wasn't suffocating in it, she was losing herself to the comforting scent, enjoying every moment of it.

Ryou opened one eye, catching a very curious image that caused him to reel with laughter. "Baka. Get changed already!" He watched Ichigo with amusement, who hadn't moved a single inch and _still_ stood there with her head completely covered by the vest.

"You don't plan on walking around like that all day do you?" He slipped into his jacket, fighting off another laugh.

"I-I'm not a baka!" She denied, (though what a time to do it). Nervously, she dashed towards the bathroom, hugging the vest closely to her side.

She emerged from the restroom minutes later, looking a little uncomfortable. The vest was awkward on her. A little too tight near the top, where her chest was making it a bit hard to breath too heavily, and too large near the bottom.

"Looks good on you." Ryou smirked, eyes smiling for him.

"Yeah." She agreed, feeling a strangely warm fuzzy sensation dancing through her stomach as she stood there in _Ryou's_ clothes.

**CLICK!**

"GOT YOU NOW! MWAHAHAHA!"

They pair spun around, their eyes just adjusting to the sudden flash.

"What the- MINT?!"

* * *

Unfortunately, I still can't get them out of the damn mall! I really think that maybe I should have made this story just entirely focused on the mall. Anyway, I hope you guys don't mind that they're still there. Just think of it as an incrediblyy long day there. They should be finally out of there by the next chapter or the chapter after that, though no promises (considering how I thought they'd be out of here by this chapter)

When I first decided to write about their trip, I had no idea there would be so much I could write about...But you guys don't really mind it do you?

There's been a slight change in writing style, I don't know if you've noticed. If you did notice, let me know which style you prefer. More talking between the characters, more self analyzation (inner thoughts and such), or would you prefer less inner thoughts but more narrative actions to reflect what they feel?

_Next up: Mint confronts them and they finally conclude their plans, but there's a strange twist with it that Ichigo isn't too happy with. _


	19. Public Confession

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

Wow, another update! Go me. You guys really impressed me with those reviews! 12 in a single day. And of course, since that made me utterly ecstatic, I just had to write and post the next chapter as quickly as I could.

I was originally planning to update my Shugo chara fic, but ended up doing this instead! Thank you soo much for the support!!

After receiving those reviews, I ended up sticking with the writing style I used in the last chapter.

Have fun reading guys!

* * *

Last time, on Chapter 18 of Unspoken Words:

Ichigo runs off after Ryou says that he hates her! But he quickly chases her and is interrupted by fangirls along the way. After getting away from them, he discovers a huge crowd of fawning guys...

As expected, Ichigo in her hot new look is the center of attention. Ryou gets there right in time to snap at some guy for hitting on her and pulls her away from the crowd. But she refuses to go with him and runs off yet again!

Finding a nice quiet spot in the corner of the wall, she sulks. Ichigo soon hears someone sit next to her and takes solace in the fact that maybe someone was as miserable as her. Suddenly, she finds herself being hugged by Ryou and for the first time, he speaks to her seriously in a heartfelt chat. He wants to be the one to comfort her, over Keiichiro, but she says it's hard, leaving too much room for the blond to misunderstand.

When Ryou confronts Ichigo to why she had run away, she is forced to realize that she likes him and in the few minutes as their conversation progresses, the 'like' soon evolves into love.

Of course, admitting that she meant more to him than just a friend was something he absolutely refused to mention of ever again. Ichigo, however, misinterprets his words thinking that he thought of her like family since she was the next closest to him after Keiichiro. Despite the misunderstandings, Ryou ends up kissing Ichigo who returns the kiss, after he questions her about quitting the cafe. Sinking into the kiss, it soon turns not so innocent and Ryou immediately stops himself.

Ichigo still doesn't think that Ryou likes her, but she knows that he is at least aroused by her, leaving her with a new determination to win him over.

They make amends, agreeing to be 'friends' even though Ichigo is secretly miserable about this. So, in order to make up for it, the redhead suggests that they continue with their plans on Mint, hoping to salvage whatever nice memories and moments with Ryou as a pretend girlfriend that she had left.

He runs off and buys her ice cream to cheer her up and they share a string of fluffy moments. Ichigo makes Ryou nervous with the way she eats the ice cream and Ryou's lips land on the ice cream while Ichigo is still eating to get back at her. Reina strolls over a moment later and stuffs the ice cream at Ichigo's chest out of jealousy. The redhead lifts the cone and shoves it on her face.

Ryou steps up and licks away the dripping cream on Ichigo's chest, threatening Reina that he will issue a restraining order if she doesn't leave ichigo and himself alone.

After the girl runs off, Ryou begins stripping his vest ot Ichigo's utter nervousness. She has other thoughts in mind considering he had just rolled his tongue up and down her chest, but apparently, he had only planned to give her something to change into.

When Ichigo comes out of the bathroom in his vest and Ryou has slipped on his jacket, they hear a sudden Snap! As expected, Mint has turned completely nuts.

* * *

**Chapter 18****: Public Confession**

_**CLICK!**_

"_GOT YOU NOW! MWAHAHAHA!"_

_They pair spun around, their eyes just adjusting to the sudden flash._

"_What the- MINT?!"_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

The two stood still, gaping at the half crazed Mint who continued to snap shots at them. She took a picture from every possible angle, tip-toeing and bending high and low to get a clear shot at their faces.

"Proof!" Her voice was triumphant.

Ryou sent a small smile towards Ichigo. She didn't need the signal, considering she had been thinking the same thing herself.

_Time for Part 2._

"Mint, what are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that innocent whining. I know what's going on!"

"That's quite the unexpected look on your face. What happened to the calm tea-sipping Mint?"

"Oh shut up Shirogane. These plans were probably your idea!"

"Mint…" The redhead sighed, placing an arm against her shoulder. "I really have no idea what you're talking about."

The dark-haired girl shot her a fierce glare, hands cupping the digital camera protectively as if Ichigo was making a move for it.

"I'm talking about…" Mint took in a sharp breath to collect herself. "…this!" It didn't seem to work since at the very next moment, she pointed accusingly at the unfazed Ichigo, eyes filled with the same crazed look from before.

"This?" Ichigo looked at where Mint pointed. She stood there awkwardly as she scanned her own clothes. Well, not really her own.

"You're wearing Shirogane's vest!" She nearly screeched.

The blond watched on quietly with a smirk on his face and mouthed a silent message to Ichigo when Mint had brought her hands against her head to suppress another headache. _"Good work partner!"_

Even the redheaded Mew had the hardest time fighting off a laugh. So much for Blue Jay, Mint seemed more like a feral stray cat left out in the rain. But as soon as Mint regained herself – that is, finally dropped her hands to the side but leaving her hair absolutely disheveled with strands of dark ebony flying all over the place (again confirming Ichigo's new image of the girl), Ichigo wiped away her grin and continued the conversation with utmost gravity.

"So what?"

"So what?!" Mint glared at Ichigo. Then redirecting her anger, she spun around to face the smirking blond. "You!"

"Me?" Ryou stood calmly in his jacket, zipped halfway up his chest.

"I _warned_ you earlier. How _dare_ you steal Ichigo's innocence!"

"W-what?!" So much for looking calm. The question had caught him off guard and he nearly toppled over. He stole a glance at his strawberry, who was now blushing a bright rosy hue matching the color of her hair.

"Ehem. What are you talking about?" He played stupid and crossed his arms over his chest as if he really had no idea. Though in all honesty, it wasn't as if they had _done_ anything.

"Suspicious! The two of you. I'm sure if I show the Mews these pictures of Ichigo in your clothes, and you half naked sporting only a jacket, they'll believe me when I tell them that it really was you two I saw all day!"

"We're just friends you know. I really have no idea what you mean when you say you've seen us all day. Well, you have seen us all day since we were shopping with you…"

"Oh, don't be a smartass Ichigo. It's very unbecoming of you. What happened to my ditsy clutz of a bestfriend? The one who'd get tea whenever I told her to?"

"What? That's all I was good for?" The redhead choked back, tone thick with fake hurt. Then regaining herself, she replied. "_You_ happened remember? The whole change in image thing."

"Oh…right." Ichigo watched her friend curiously. Mint really was starting to lose her edge.

"Anyway, as I was saying. We're just friends. We haven't touched each other inappropriately in any way. What you see now, that's just a friendly gesture too." She crossed her fingers behind her back.

"Oh? Then explain your clothes."

Ryou spoke up, to Ichigo's relief. She didn't like lying to Mint. Even as the new changed Ichigo, she still maintained her values and morals. Well, except the fact that she had allowed a certain pair of hands to roam her innocent body…

"One of my crazy fan girls attacked her with ice cream so she had to change."

"Huh?!" Mint cocked her head to the side, her feral eyes slowly giving way to confusion. Part of her understood the extent of his fan girls' craziness. It wouldn't be beyond them.

"See, Ryou treated me to ice cream."

"_Ryou?_" Mint gave her such a suspicious glance that it made Ichigo blush. But she was an actress and she was going to step up and act!

"Yes, Ryou. I already told you, we're friends."

"Okay." Mint looked at her still unconvinced, considering the whole friendship thing was weird in itself. Just as Ichigo thought her best friend had retreated, Mint spoke again. "Why would Shirogane treat you to ice cream? Seems past just being _friendly_ to me."

"Really? I think it's quite normal to treat a friend once in awhile." Ryou was calm, voice unflinching. He knew perfectly well that they had backed Mint into a corner and she was fighting a losing battle.

"Of course it is, Mint!" Ichigo chirped in. "Besides, it was to cheer me up." The redhead winced right after she said it, cursing herself for reminding Mint of that embarrassing display when she had suddenly stormed off.

"From what?" Mint was fixing her hair as if she wasn't paying attention, but Ichigo knew that the Lorikeet was watching her every move now. "Cuz _I _thought, it was from getting upset over the fact that your dear sweet _Ryou_ said that he – "

The redhead ran to Mint immediately, covering her mouth with her hand. Then realizing what she had done, Ichigo stepped away, with a look of horror on her face. She had practically confessed to Mint with her obvious actions.

Ryou seemed to have a strange expression on his eyes too, and it scared her. Being the genius that he was, it wouldn't take him much to catch on right?

"Well, if you must know." Ichigo gulped despite her confident voice. "I actually ran off because Kei-kun asked that question outright as if he didn't care at all."

"What question?"

"You know…_that_ one." Ryou didn't seem at all comfortable with her words either. To Ichigo, he seemed almost downcast, even if he was standing there as casually as ever.

"Oh, you mean whether _Shirogane loves you_?"

"Oh stop grinning like that Mint." Of course, the redhead couldn't bring herself to actually say those words. "But yes. When Keiichiro asked that question, I knew that he must not care at all!" Again, Ichigo had her fingers crossed behind her back. "So you see, Ryou was comforting me."

"Ahh. I see." Mint said with amusement dripping from her words. She turned to look at Ryou who seemed otherwise unaffected.

"Besides, how can that be true, when I'm totally and completely in love with you Mint?" Ryou walked over to her, pulling her against his side. Mint blushed scarlet, eyes wide, before sputtering incoherently and flailing her arms violent against the blond.

Ichigo gulped uneasily. It all made perfect sense now. All those times she caught their secret glances at each other, all those times she saw Ryou whisper to Mint when they thought she wasn't looking, all those times Mint hung around the blond_ always _close at hand. Every single time, Mint had been right next to him: In the food court, outside the store, at work, even when they were walking through the mall.

"HAHAHA!" Ryou burst out in laughter. Ichigo had never seen him laugh so heartily. "We got you good! Right strawberry?"

Mint looked absolutely aghast. She stumbled slightly, propping herself against the white bench.

Ichigo let a small smile trace her lips. Somehow, these plans weren't as satisfying as she had hoped. Now that she knew the truth about Ryou's feelings for Mint…

She groaned slightly. "It's not like I didn't know at the very beginning." That was why she had sent Mint that wink awhile back wasn't it? So why was it bothering her now?

She played with her hair, curling it between her fingers. "I supported them then, and I'll support them now." It was Mint after all, her best friend. And recalling her friend's blush at Ryou's touch, there had to be something there.

But even though she tried to convince herself, that constant itch that agitated the idea of leaving them alone got to her. It wasn't as if Ichigo didn't know what it was. She was perfectly clear about it. But she'd do her best to ignore those stormy emotions of hers, the place in her heart that was saved only for Ryou.

"Ichigo?"

"W-what?!" She jumped at his touch against her shoulder.

"You don't seem that happy about this." His expression was blank, but she could see a glimmer of concern in his eyes. When had she gotten so good at reading his eyes anyhow?

"AHAHAHA. What are you talking about? That was great! AHAHAHA-" She forced out her laughs, and she was sure that Ryou could tell, especially with the uncomfortable knot that was forming in her throat.

"Anyway, Mint's already gone ahead of us. Probably to meet up with Zakuro and Keiichiro."

"Yeah, she seemed pretty angry. She completely ignored us!" Ichigo attempted to say it lightly.

"Eh, she'll get over it." Ryou merely shrugged.

Tough love. Even if she was going to support them, Ichigo thought Ryou was being a little harsher than was necessary.

They walked in the direction of the others in silence for much of the distance. Ichigo stared at her shoes as she brought one foot in front of the other in a monotonous motion. Certainly, it'd be more interesting to look at Ryou's face, but she didn't trust herself to look away if she did.

"Serves Mint right for messing with us."

"Hm? Oh yeah."

"Something's up with you. I can tell." Ryou slipped a hand against hers, wrapping his fingers tightly.

Ichigo jumped up nervously, wondering if this meant anything. But just as quickly as he had managed to hold her hand, he gave a slight squeeze of reassurance and then let go.

"Don't let Keiichiro get to you too much."

_You idiot._

She was so caught up by his touch, still thinking about the lingering feeling while inwardly fuming at Ryou, that she hadn't even noticed the Mint, Zakuro and Keiichiro who now came into view.

"So Lettuce and Pudding are meeting us at my house." Mint was speaking to the idol and chef and didn't notice the two who had approached. "If you're really wondering, they really did break out from security – Pudding's idea no less. Obviously, they had to leave the mall after that. Pudding's already on her way to my house and Lettuce went to straighten things out at the hospital."

Seeing Zakuro raise an eyebrow at her, she continued. "Don't worry Oneesama. Pudding's perfectly capable of making her own way to my house. She's a kid and all, but she can beat up most grown men – 10 at a time even."

Finally noticing Ichigo and Ryou, Mint began her announcements as haughtily as usual. "So let's head back now, Zakuro and Keiichiro."

Keiichiro sent an apologetic glance at Ichigo, who only smiled in acceptance.

"Tch." Ryou had watched their exchange and his annoyance had accidentally slipped. Zakuro in no way missed it though.

"Mint," the idol spoke. "What about Ichigo and Shirogane-san?"

"They're not invited!"

"Mint, this whole day was planned for Ichigo. And what's the point of inviting Keiichiro without Ichigo there?" She whispered more secretly to the Lorikeet, who at this action beamed with utter happiness. Here was her favorite idol, exchanging secret words with _her._

"O-kay Oneesama. Anything for you."

"Alright. You guys go ahead first, but I have to make a quick stop somewhere in the mall for work. Shirogane-san." She curled her finger at him, signaling for him to the side.

Ichigo couldn't make out what they were saying, but in the very next moment, Ryou returned. "I'll be staying behind for a bit as well."

"Oneesama!" Mint drawled. "Let us wait for you, please?"

"Alright. I'll try to be quick." Zakuro sent a furtive glance at Ichigo before smirking.

* * *

The narrow hall was empty. Its glossy tiled floors reflected the warm yellow light. The walls were neat and clean with the occasional picture hanging from it. Ryou stretched lazily backwards, raising his arms up in the air before finally bringing it behind his head to lean against the wall. He settled on a simple bench placed in the hallway right beside a plant resembling a palm tree for aesthetic purposes.

Finally, the room door swung open. It was just one of the many doors found in this surprisingly office-like hallway. Who would have known that deep within the mall in some secret corner, there would be offices?

The blond smirked, Lettuce and Pudding had probably found themselves in one of these rooms.

"Shirogane-san, come in."

Ryou raised an eyebrow at the idol. It seemed that Zakuro was always busy with work. Even when she had come out to the mall for a break with the Mews she had other business to take care of first. He regarded her with respect.

"Done with the announcements?"

"Yes. But come in, I want to talk. This room should be free for the next ten minutes or so."

At her signal, he strolled into the room with his hands casually placed in his pockets. He hadn't known what she wanted to talk about, but it had sounded urgent.

Zakuro leaned against the various buttons and shimmering lights of the control panel, motioning for Ryou to take the seat before her. Her hands secretly danced behind her.

"It's time to admit your feelings."

Ryou stared at her blankly before rising from his chair. "I'm not having this conversation again."

She gently pressed down on his shoulder, forcing him to sit.

"I'm serious. If you don't at least admit it to yourself soon, it might be too late. I see how you look at Ichigo, it's definitely no secret you have feelings for her."

He groaned, digging his head into his hand. "Look, what do you want me to say? That I'm in love with her? Will that satisfy you?"

"Yes and no. I'm not trying to pressure you. I'm not here to mock you." She leaned closer to him, bringing a hand to his ears as she whispered "I'm not quite like Mint."

Pulling back, she noticed his lips tightening into a single thin line as he considered her words. Seeing this as a chance, she continued speaking. "I just want to help you realize your feelings, and maybe help you along."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friends, and I want you to be happy."

The blond looked surprised. A small grin appeared in the next moment. "You're really something Zak."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'll let it slip this time. Now, what do you say?"

"About what?"

"About _her. _Don't you love her? Tell her already!"

"Tell her what?"

"That you _love _her! UGH!" Zakuro found herself totally exasperated. Even with the blond nearly giving in to her words, he was still difficult to handle.

"What? I can't do that!"

"But you love her!"

"How can I waltz up to her and tell her something like that? Especially since she's clearly interested in someone else now! I've loved her since the day I met her and only now, I know it! I had my chance and now it's too late." He bitterly recalled Ichigo's words. The entire reason she had run off upset was because of Keiichiro's supposedly lack of concern for her.

"I'm certain that's not true."

"It is."

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I don't need to!" He ruffled his hair.

"You can do it. If you truly do love her, you should fight for her instead of just letting her go. For all you know, she could return those feelings."

"Tsk. I thought that it might have been possible at one time. I thought she might have felt the same way, but then I was wrong!"

"You need to tell her."

"I practically did. It was pretty clear with everything I did with her."

"No, you have to say it. Knowing how she is, she'll never really understand unless you clearly say it to her. If you don't say anything, you'll regret it."

"Whatever." Ryou stood tall, pushing the chair away. "It's better than making a complete fool out of myself." He went for the exit, slamming the door behind him.

"Too late." Zakuro smirked, hand lightly tracing the red light next to the microphone. She settled into the swivel chair, leaning back and crossing her legs on top of the control panel in front of her.

Picking up the microphone, she spoke into it. "And that concludes our special program for today. A special dedication to the Tokyo Mew Mews for all your hard work fighting for justice."

Quite satisfied with her work, Zakuro switched off the mic.

Meanwhile, downstairs on the first floor, a bouncy little redhead hopped on top of Mint.

"Please, please, please don't be mad!"

"…"

"Please?"

Mint struggled to get loose. Ichigo's arms were wrapped around her neck a little too tightly.

"Gggghak…"

"Oh come on Mint, don't be a spoilsport. You know it was your fault for making me go to the café early."

"GgGHAK!"

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Ichigo pleaded, her arms pulling in even tighter. Finally she released the suffocating Mint, "You're such a meanie."

Mint bent over, rubbing a hand around her neck. She took in sharp breaths, heaving heavily and enjoying every second of air that she could get. She glared at the redhead who stood some distance in front of her.

"ICHIGO!" The redhead turned around with the most innocent expression on her face. The stupid girl hadn't even noticed she had nearly choked Mint to death.

"Hm?"

A loud sound of static suddenly spread through the mall, resonating through the walls as the "CHHHH" gradually adjusted.

"What the…?" Ichigo suddenly turned towards the direction of the sound. Mint's attention as well as Keiichiro's, who now waited patiently on a bench, was on the speakers.

There was a low muffled rumbling, resembling words.

"Did…someone forget to turn off the microphone?"

"Why did it suddenly turn on then Ichigo?"

But their questions were soon silenced as the voices on the other side suddenly boomed with utmost clarity.

'_What? I can't do that!' _A male's voice, very much like…

"Ryou?!" Ichigo nearly choked on her own spit. No, she was hearing things wasn't she? She was getting pathetic, seeing him and hearing him everywhere she went.

'_But you love her!'_

"Zakuro-Oneesama?!" It was Mint's turn to yell.

The brunet sitting below the escalators seemed curious. His eyebrows scrunched together and he brought a hand to his ears, straining to identify the voices.

'_How can I waltz up to her and tell her something like that? Especially since she's clearly interested in someone else now! I've loved her since the day I met her and only now, I know it! I had my chance and now it's too late.'_

"It's…Ryou." Ichigo said with finality, heart sinking ever deeper with each word he spoke. "He's…really fallen for you hard Mint."

**SMACK!**

"Owie! What'd you do that for!" Ichigo glared at the scowling girl who had just delivered a smack across the back of her head.

"You idiot! He doesn't love me!" Mint looked like she was about ready to pop both her eyes out with the way she rolled them. "Tch, besides, if there's someone you should worry about, it'd be Lettuce considering she – "

Her words were interrupted by a sudden gasp. Mint's exasperation soon gave way to shock. "Ichigo…you couldn't…?"

"What Mint?" The redhead snapped back.

"You like Shirogane?"

"…" She said nothing. Mint however, clearly understood with the way her best friend was blushing. Oh what an interesting turn of events!

"…considering she what Mint?" Ichigo finally raised her head to look at the girl, and jumped at the sight.

"Oh my – MINT! Stop grinning like that. It's freaking me out!"

"You should be freaked out." She whispered quietly to herself.

"Did you say something Mint?"

"I _said_, it's Lettuce you should be worried about, considering she _did_ kiss Shirogane." Mint scoffed, feigning annoyance. "God, you're slow _and_ deaf."

"W-wait what?"

"I _said_, you're SLOW AND DEAF." The Lorikeet dragged out her words, speaking as slowly as she could manage.

"No I mean-" Just as Ichigo was about to explain, Mint neared her face, studying her expression carefully. "Um…nevermind, okay?!" The redhead spun around, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

A smirk played across Mint's smug face. _That_ was for making her look like a fool.

"Ichigo," her tone was much kinder. Now that Mint had her revenge, they could end all the silly games. The redhead _was_ her best friend after all. "Why don't you just try listening to the rest of the announcement? You might find something interesting."

The redhead looked at Mint. Her russet eyes glimmered with hopeful tears. "Thanks Mint." Ichigo said quietly, glad that the girl had not teased her to her utter surprise.

'_CHHHHHHHH'_

Mint groaned. "Of all the godamned times for there to be static!" Her complaints were soon abated, by the emerging voice from the speakers.

'_You can do it. If you truly do love her, you should fight for her instead of just letting her go. For all you know, she could return those feelings.'_

Mint smiled at her idol's voice. Leave it to Zakuro to speak only wise words. She had probably noticed Ichigo's feelings before the idiot girl had realized them herself.

'_Tsk. I thought that it might have been possible at one time. I thought she might have felt the same way, but then I was wrong!'_

Ichigo shuffled uneasily in place, unaware of Mint watching her. These words he was speaking, were they for Lettuce or Mint? So far, everything he had said seemed pretty general.

Lettuce maybe? It was clear to the redhead that her friend had harbored feelings for him at one point, though she wasn't certain if that was still true.

'_CHHHHH'_

'…_No, you have to say it. Knowing how she is, she'll never really understand unless you clearly say it to her. If you don't say anything, you'll regret it.'_

Ichigo's thoughts settled on Lettuce. She was just the shy type who wouldn't understand unless she was told! The redhead silently cursed herself for her stupidity and rashness at suspecting Mint.

'_Whatever.'_ There was a sound of shuffle. Something rolling against the ground? _'It's better than making a complete fool out of myself.'_ The voice was getting softer. It was clear that the speaker was walking away.

"Names you idiot blond. Why couldn't you say any NAMES?!" The redhead jumped suddenly, staring at an annoyed Mint.

'_And that concludes our special program for today. A special dedication to the Tokyo Mew Mews for all your hard work fighting for justice.'_

"Mint? It seems like that was just a planned broadcast. You heard Zakuro. They were probably promoting some new movie she was doing and had Ryou fill in for someone or something like that…" Or at least she hoped it was. Ichigo wasn't too fond of the idea of the blond confessing his feelings about Lettuce in front of the entire mall.

"Oh hush Ichigo. I don't even know how I ended up with a thickheaded best friend like you."

"Eh?"

"Goodness. Zakuro had set it up so nicely and everything too. But that idiot blond just…arg!" Mint coughed slightly, evening out the ruffles in her dress. In the very next moment, she recovered her usual smug Mint demeanor.

"Zakuro, on the other hand is amazing." Ichigo turned to look at Mint who was probably now daydreaming about her favorite idol. "She did in ten minutes what I couldn't do all day!"

"Eh? And what would that be?"

"To get Shirogane to conf- " Mint suddenly caught herself. Zakuro could have easily mentioned Ichigo's name herself, but she didn't. Whatever she was up to, Mint would go along with it. "Oh look, they're back!" She pointed to the pair walking down the escalators in excitement.

"You seem a little jumpy Mint." Ichigo looked at her suspiciously.

"N-no, not at all."

From where she stood, the redhead could see Keiichiro standing up to approach the pair that was just returning. Something seemed to trouble him as he was speaking to Ryou. Strangely, their conversation didn't end up in the usual glares and threats coming from the blond. Ryou seemed as calm as ever.

That is until, Keiichiro was finished talking with him. The blond seemed to turn paler than his usual complexion. Ryou's crisp cerulean blue eyes suddenly darted towards the redhead, immediately enrapturing her in his gaze.

Looking down, she fought off the nervous knot at her chest as she made her way towards them. Facing Ryou after his confession about his feelings for someone else was the last thing she wanted to do at this moment.

Her legs felt like they were weighed down with lead, but she slowly and grudgingly pushed them forward to face the imminent dangers of emotional suicide that she was not ready for.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! A lot of stuff happened here and this style of writing makes it easier for me to include more things. Let me know if you prefer the old style. For now, I'll try to keep writing in this way.

Yes! They will FINALLY leave the mall in the next chapter. Don't give me that look! I mean it!

I hope the very long day at the mall was at least worth it!


	20. For Your Happiness

**Unspoken Words**

Sorry it took longer than usual to update. I really meant to finish the chapter as soon as possible when I saw how much support this story was getting.

I've decided that instead of trying to update a chapter from every story, I'll just update whichever gets the most support (meaning, I'll probably be focusing mostly on this story.) Yay for this story's supporters! Except lately, I need to start studying for certain big tests which means that I'll have fewer updates in general...

No promise but most likely, I'll give in to the urge to write and probably let my studying go down the crapper. :x

**Please read and review**! Seeing how you guys have been so good to me, I'm getting rid of the required minimum to update. Plus this story is reaching 150 reviews. New record for me! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING PEOPLE! I LOVE YOU ALL! And I trust that you'll continue to impress me with your wonderful reviews to update as often as I can.

By the way, if any of you are interested, I can post the stats to this story. It's fared better than my first story...well better than _all_ my other stories (but those _are_ newer).

* * *

_Looking down, she fought off the nervous knot at her chest as she made her way towards them. Facing Ryou after his confession about his feelings for someone else was the last thing she wanted to do at this moment._

_Her legs felt like they were weighed down with lead, but she slowly and grudgingly pushed them forward to face the imminent dangers of emotional suicide that she was not ready for._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

**Chapter 20****: For Your Happiness**

"Yo." Ryou remarked coolly with both hands in his pockets. The redhead's stiff shoulder slackened as she approached the group. Her once downcast eyes which concentrated their gaze on the marbled floors of the mall shot up, meeting his cerulean blue eyes yet again.

"That's all you have to say?" She muttered, scrutinizing his pale face. Ryou however, did not seem at all unnerved by her actions.

"What else would I be saying?" He returned her fierce stare, studying her face carefully as he searched for a hint.

"Well, the rest of us will be off then." Keiichiro interrupted, sending Ryou a slight wink.

"Nice to know you guys are getting along again." The redhead grumbled quietly.

"Why aren't you happier about it?" The blond inquired with interest.

"I am. I'm just dandy!"

"Sarcasm much?"

Mint groaned. "Okay, enough of this flirti—"

"We're _not_ flirting!" The redhead and blond cried in unison. Exchanging very uncomfortable looks, they turned away from each other.

"As Keiichiro was saying," Zakuro stated with an amused grin, "We will be heading to Mint's house now. So come meet us when you are ready."

"What?" They asked simultaneously.

"_They're getting good at that_." Mint whispered surreptitiously to her favorite idol. Her words were met with a knowing smirk.

"Well obviously we'd be heading to Mint's now, considering how the rest of us stopped by her place this morning and dropped off all our stuff beforehand. Why'd you think Lettuce and Pudding went there instead of going home first?"

"What? _Mint?!_" They spun around to glare at Mint.

"Yes yes you old bickering couple. Now get a move on! I expect the both of you at my house as soon as possible. No getting _distracted _got it?" She sneered at the crimson redhead and the silent blond as she hinted at certain uncontrolled urges. She was quite satisfied to find that they had not bothered to deny her words.

"By the way," Mint once again caught their attention. "You can thank me later for this morning."

Ichigo shuffled uncomfortably, with such focused staring at her shoes that her gaze could've burned through her foot and into the soles. The usually observant Ryou had barely noticed as he himself was trying with quite the effort to stare up at nothing at all.

"I concede, Ryou." Keiichiro walked up to his friend, offering a hand. Then pulling the blond closer as soon as he had snatched his hand, the brunet whispered. "_For now._"

Ryou sent Keiichiro a thankful look while Ichigo looked on utterly confused over exactly what the brunet had admitted defeat from.

"Alright, so I'll send a limo to come get you guys at the café in say…an hour?"

"No fair. Why is it always at the café? Why not send it to my house?"

Ryou shrugged when Mint turned to look at him for his opinion. "Eh, I don't see why not. Considering it'll probably take Ichigo a lot more time to get ready."

"Good man! Becoming more like a gentleman!" Keiichiro smiled. "_Finally_ growing up I see…"

"Tch."

"Hm. He _did _say something about that before." Ichigo considered briefly.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go already!" Ryou growled, quickly grabbing on to Ichigo's wrist to interrupt her thoughts. Without even looking back, he pulled her out of the mall with him.

Mint, Zakuro and Keiichiro watched the two leave, their figures quickly blending into the crowd of people in the distance. "So things are finally going right for Shirogane-san huh? They almost look like a couple from here, if he wasn't dragging her along so roughly."

"Oh? I thought you were in this to tease Shirogane, not to help him."

Mint's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Well I never!" She scoffed, feigning shock at the absurdity of the idol's words. "Besides, he's had enough of that and I'm not the type to hold a grudge."

Zakuro simply crossed her arms and stared straight at Mint.

"What? Okay, fine I _am_, but that doesn't mean I don't want Ichigo to be happy. I'll support her even if it is with that annoying blond, whatever her decision is."

"Quite the kind friend of you, Mint. I'm sure Ichigo would be thrilled to know that you feel this way."

"Not one word Akasaka-san!" Mint's cheeks turned a darker shade of red. She glared slightly at the brunet, before gasping suddenly. "Oh Akasaka-san! I...erm…hope you don't mind?"

"Mind what?"

"About Shirogane and Ichigo."

"Oh no. I was only giving Ryou a slight push in the right direction all along."

"Tsk. So you were just playing with Ichigo's feelings?"

Mint's apologetic look converted into a threatening one.

"Of course not! Though, she has only ever treated me as just a friend."

Mint watched him uncertainly before Zakuro finally broke her attention. "Mint, I don't think things will go all that well for Shirogane yet."

"Why not? What's left? They clearly have feelings for each other and Shirogane-san has already confessed."

"But knowing Ichigo…there's a number of ways she would twist the situation before ever arriving at the right one." The brunet explained, chuckling slightly at the redhead's interesting way of thinking (also known as idiocy to Ryou – but really, it depends on the person who's considering it).

"Exactly. Things are far from safe yet."

"And if things do happen to fall apart, I'll be right there to help Ichi-chan back up again."

"…you're serious?"

"We'll just have to see how things go." His eyes twinkled.

--

The 20-year old blond man walked briskly beside a young redheaded girl as they made their way back out through the familiar park in the direction of Ichigo's house. Having just left the café, Ryou slung his duffle bag over his shoulder with a look of annoyance on his face. "I still don't get why I need _all_ this stuff. We're only staying for a night!"

Ichigo rolled her eyes at him. "It might come in handy, you never know! It's always better to be safe. What are you going to do if something happens and you don't have a change in boxers or something?"

"Hm Ichigo? Already thinking of me in boxers?"

"N-no!" And no matter how she fought it, her cat ears popped out. "I meant..._purr_…it's not like you can possibly…_purr_…ask Mint for a change in…_purr…_underwear."

Ryou pulled back away from her soft black ears before Ichigo could yell at him for taking advantage of her cat genes. He had winced at the thought. "Ugh. Me in panties." He visibly shuddered. "I can't even begin to imagine that…_pain_." He winced once again. (_A/N: For a better description of how he would feel, read the first chapter of Living in Your Shoes_)

"Ahahaha!"

Very much disliking being laughed at by his baka strawberry, the blond finally voiced a question that had been bothering him since he spoke to Keiichiro.

"Strawberry."

She was immediately silenced, noting the seriousness in his tone. For some reason, she loved that he still called her that even though he was now allowed to use her name.

"How much of that…" He rubbed a hand against his arm awkwardly and his footsteps somehow seemed less confident. Ichigo gaped, a little surprised. "…announcement did you actually hear?" Never before had the blond seemed so nervous about anything before. True, it might not seem like he was _that_ nervous if he was any other person, but he was Ryou Shirogane, the guy who almost always contained his emotions though lately, that had been slowly changing.

She stared at him though she tried to be subtle, forcing her feet to continue moving as she stole a long glance at him. Her memories of other moments when he was just as nervous were completely forgotten (take for one, their cramped hiding place in the bathroom stall). As soon as he mentioned the announcement, color was drained from her cheeks. How could she forget it?

"I heard…everything." She looked away and gulped.

"So." He dropped his bag, catching Ichigo's attention for long enough to get her to stop walking. Stepping in front of her, he rested his arms against her shoulders to face her. "What do you think?" His eyes glimmered with concern as he stared into her eyes, waiting.

"T-think?!" The redhead stared at her toes as she shuffled her feet uncomfortably on the dirt floor right at the exit of the park.

"Uh, yeah. Ichigo? You okay?"

"S-sure."

He lifted a hand to her face. "You feel a little cold. Are you sick?"

No, but she sure as hell felt like it.

The blond knelt down beside his bag. Quickly unzipping it, he dug his hand inside before pulling out a winter down jacket. The icy air should have been obvious when he stepped out of the heated cafe, but for some reason, Ryou had not noticed the sting of cold against his skin. Rather, he had been distracted with other thoughts. "Here." He shoved it in front of her.

She stared blankly as his hand hovered. "Why on Earth would you bring that?"

"Cuz you _told_ me to!" He grumbled.

"Well? Aren't you going to wear it?" His hand was still extended. "Ugh. You can't do anything by yourself can you strawberry?"

Ichigo shivered slightly, though not from the cold as Ryou suspected. Sighing, the blond carefully brought the oversized jacket to the girl's shoulders.

"T-thanks." The redhead stared at the dusty ground while her hands hugged the jacket closer.

The blond zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulders again before he replied. "No problem. We're friends aren't we?" He immediately winced after having spoken those words, mentally beating himself for his inability to find the right thing to say when his usual eloquence rarely failed him.

The atmosphere was strangely silent between the two. Even their usual bickering had ceased. All that was left was tension in the nearly quiet air and the soft rhythm of their shoes now tapping the cemented pavements of the streets of Tokyo.

"Ichigo. I – " His eyebrows scrunched together as he struggled with his words. There were just too many words left unsaid that he had held back for so long for him to start putting them together now.

"You wanted to know what I thought of it?" Her voice was cold.

The blond nodded.

"Why?" Her tone was bitter.

"Because! I can't deal with these feelings unless I know!"

Ichigo drew back slightly, wet eyes now shimmering. "Okay. Then tell me if…"

"What? Anything Ichigo. Just…just talk to me! I have no idea what's going on in that head of yours." The blond replied, quite frustrated that Ichigo was near at tears.

"Did you kiss Lettuce?"

"Wha- what's that got to do with anything?" He froze in place, watching the redhead speed up in front of him.

"Goodness, are you _really_ a genius? It's always been about Lettuce!"

"Huh?"

"Just answer the question!"

"Yes but-" Recovering feeling in his legs, Ryou raced after her hoping to get a chance to explain.

"Okay, then here's my response to you, as a friend." Ichigo took a deep breath, barely noticing Ryou wincing at the word 'friend'. "I suggest you be with Lettuce then. You guys can be happy together."

"Ichigo!" The blond pleaded. "Why…are you saying this? Look, I didn't want you to hear it like that. I would've told you in person!"

_About the kiss or his confession? Either way…_"I don't know why you'd even want me to hear that at all!" She screeched, tears now falling from her eyes. "It's like you're purposely trying to confuse me or like you're just playing with my feelings!"

Her russet eyes shot open, just realizing what she had admitted out loud. She stormed off, speeding up ahead.

"You're the one doing that!" He scowled, quickly tailing after her. "I meant _every_ word I said Ichigo!"

"Ugh. That's exactly the problem! Why must you flaunt it to my face?"

"That's…the problem? My public _confession_ on the speakers?!" Ryou wore a dazed expression, before his eyes finally turned icy blue, sending a cold stare at the girl. How much more could she have expected from him? The experience in itself left him utterly humiliated.

"I see. I guess it really was impossible after all." She finally stopped walking, and now stood helplessly on the sidewalk near her house. Having stomped speedily from the blond, she had not even noticed the great amount of distance she had covered while she snapped away at the agitating Ryou.

Ichigo's body shook uncontrollably despite the heavy jacket that was placed on her. She had turned away from the blond as soon as she felt the tears overflowing. Gingerly wiping them away, she choked back another sob and finally turned to face Ryou who still tailed behind her, with a slight smile.

"I'll support you guys, because we're friends." Her lips trembled, threateningly to let a whimper escape from her mouth.

"I don't want to be friends!" His angry tone hiding his feelings of hurt at having been rejected. _I want to be more than that._

"W-what?" Tears were once again rolling down her frozen cheeks.

His cold expression softened as he approached her. Bringing a hand to her face, Ryou dried her tears. After jerking his arm back slightly at the cold feel of her skin, he brought both hands to warm her face and spoke as he held her head. "Sorry. I didn't mean that."

He pulled her close, hugging her protectively against the cold. "Ichigo, you're really useless by yourself. At least let me warm you up…as a friend." She dug her head deep into his chest, sinking into his scent as she felt a comforting warmth envelop her.

"W-why couldn't this mean anything more to you?" She muttered incoherently into his jacket, heart wincing as she gulped down another knot at her throat.

Ryou finally pulled away and she felt the sudden weight of his chin lifted from the top of her head. His eyes glimmered with such a familiar expression – it shone of a melancholy blue that caused Ichigo to stagger backwards, hand clutching over her chest to calm the sudden pang she felt hitting her chest as she stared at those pained cerulean eyes.

"Don't be sad Ryou. I'm doing this for your happiness, so you can be with Lettuce." She quickly looked away.

"What the- " Ichigo felt a hand grab her own, tugging her towards the blond figure. He pulled her with such force that it caused her to spin back around to face him directly.

Ichigo only caught a glimpse of Ryou's confused expression in the brief instant they stood quietly in the middle of the street a block from Ichigo's house before they were interrupted.

"Ichigo! Shirogane-san!" The redhead immediately broke their gaze, turning to the speaker.

"Lettuce?!" She said with a clear tone of surprise. Roughly, she attempted to push off Ryou's hand around her wrist as a rosy tint crept onto her cheeks, but the blond refused to let go. Finally, after a few more nudges, uncomfortable squirming and the deepening shade of red on her face, Ichigo finally managed to brush off his grip.

"Oh Ichigo! It's incredible!" The greenheaded girl was beaming. She had not even noticed the silent struggle between the two figures who stood before her.

"I met someone!" Lettuce made her way towards them and settled Ichigo as they walked onward at a normal pace. Ryou fell behind them, seemingly contemplating something of some significance as his head was lowered causing his hair to flop over and cover his eyes.

When Ichigo finally worked up the courage to turn around to face Ryou, she observed the expected gloomy countenance, much to her dismay. She stopped walking, clutching her hand above her chest.

"Why…why don't you guys go first?" She gulped.

"What are you talking about baka?"

"Ichigo, I'll wait for you and then we can go together." The kind Lettuce smiled warmly. Her hands were folded in front of her.

"I'll wait too."

"Of course you would Ryou." She narrowed her eyes at him slightly. _Of course anything to spend more time with Lettuce right?_

"Well obviously why would we walk to Mint's when she's sending the limo over?" The blond stated dryly with his arms crossed above his chest.

"Why don't you guys just _go_ already?" Ichigo groaned.

"What's wrong?" Lettuce hurried over, clasping Ichigo's hands within her own as she stared at her with concern written all over her face. She tugged at her slightly, motioning the redhead to continue the soft patter of her footsteps as the green-haired girl continued facing her friend, taking careful steps backward.

"Oh it's…nothing." Her head dropped slightly, but after feeling the reassuring squeeze at her hand, she looked up at Lettuce. "Really." Ichigo attempted to smile but knew that her sad eyes would quickly give her away. "It's just my dad. You know him. The one who goes absolutely crazy at the mention of boys. I can't possibly have Ryou walking in to the house."

"I'll wait outside baka." It seemed as if the blond had already made his choice since he already began to settle under a tree a few feet away from the entrance of the Momomiya residence, much to Ichigo's surprise. They had just arrived, though the girl had barely noticed as she was so lost in her thoughts.

Leaning casually against the trunk and keeping hidden, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Nothing to worry about now right?"

_Wrong._ Ichigo sulked.

"So why don't you go and get ready with Lettuce's help?"

"No it's fine. Why don't the both of you wait outside?" The redhead offered hesitantly, brooding over how much emotional torture she was going through at this moment. But she for one, was not going to get in the way of the happiness of her two good friends.

"Ichigo! I've been wanting to visit your home!"

The redhead visibly sighed, but her heart made a silent somersault in her chest for being able to keep the two apart. Her feet moved slightly faster than before when she had been walking with Ryou. Walking up the steps into her home, she swung her arm carelessly in the air towards the entrance.

"Come on Lettuce!" She said a little too happily. Lettuce followed enthusiastically, closing the door behind her as Ryou watched the two girls walk inside.

He groaned, scowled, grumbled and everything that was possible to do without catching too much attention to let out his inner frustration. His hands pulled at his soft golden strands of hair, and the slight tension at his scalp caused by the pressure began to become a feeling he welcomed, a feeling that numbed his other thoughts.

But no matter how angry his facial features would suggest, Ryou's unchanging blue eyes revealed pain, confusion, and desperation. He could feel his inner thoughts spilling through those orbs and quickly closed his eyes to ease them away.

Reaching for his pocket, he slid his thin cell phone out and dialed as he held his breath. Then releasing the air in a heavy sigh, he brought the phone to his ears.

"Yes, Keiichiro? You know about that agreement we made at the mall? Well, I've called to let you know that it's time for me to support you."

He paused, getting his voice together. "Because I- I've been clearly rejected."

* * *

Goodness I'm frustrated! I made a bunch of changes in this doc and then it wouldn't go through because of some internet problem. And then I had to go back and do it over!! Grr!

Sorry this chapter couldn't be longer since you guys waited longer.

Now, just a question. So at this point, the story is most likely going to be around 25 chapters or so, but I also have a couple of other things I might want to include (still related to the storyline) which would bring it to 30 chapters or more.

Meaning that around the mid twenty chapters, the two will be finally together! Would you prefer fewer chapters, or the extra few chapters about what happens _after_ they get together?


	21. Being Friends with an Idiot

**Unspoken Words**

An update! Sorry this took longer than usual. But enjoy the read! I've at least worked out what I want to write for the next couple of chapters. I mean I don't have it in detail, but the general idea is there. So no worries!

I've decided to extend this story to include what happens to Ichigo and Ryou after they get together.

Please read and review! Thanks for all the support so far guys! It really does make this easier to continue.

* * *

Last time, on Chapter 20:

__

"Yes, Keiichiro? You know about that agreement we made at the mall? Well, I've called to let you know that it's time for me to support you."

He paused, getting his voice together. "Because I- I've been clearly rejected."

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 21****: Being Friends with an Idiot**

"Here we are" Ichigo announced proudly as she held the door open with one hand. Lettuce's eyes slowly followed the direction of her friend's arm; her eyes previously focused on the family photos hung along the staircase as she absorbed the quaint style of Ichigo's home and the warm loving atmosphere.

"It's so…pink."

"And what's wrong with pink?" Ichigo snapped, strolling into her room.

Lettuce smiled nervously with her two hands folded in front of her. "Why don't you start packing?"

"Right. Take a seat somewhere."

Lettuce made her way inside, noting the checkered carpeted pink and white floor and the warm strawberry colored walls. She chuckled inwardly. It was a little too pink for her tastes – she would have preferred a nice shade of green- but it suited Ichigo quite well.

"So you said you've met someone?" The redhead's voice was muffled from the closet, but Lettuce swore she could almost hear her choke the words.

"Oh yes! Remember how Pudding and I were …um…detained at the mall?" At this, the green-haired Mew blushed slightly. She paused for a moment, waiting for a response.

"Ichigo?"

A loud crash and a heap of cluttered objects on the floor signaled for Lettuce to look in the closet. The redhead was found on the floor underneath her clothes.

"It's just for one night Ichigo. Any normal clothes will do."

"I need more than _normal_ clothes." She growled slightly. "And it's always good to be prepared."

Deciding it was better to leave her to her own antics, Lettuce settled on the side of Ichigo's bed. Ignoring the blurred colors of clothes thrown up in the air, she continued speaking. "Anyway, after Pudding took care of the security guards…"

"Yes I know this part, you got caught."

"No, I mean, after she took care of the _other_ security guards in that weird room we were in."

"Oh." The redhead's lips curved up into a small smile. "Boy am I glad I'm on Pudding's good side."

"Most definitely!" Lettuce winced just slightly as she recalled the pile of men left behind them when she and Pudding had escaped.

The duffel bag at Ichigo's feet was growing exponentially. "Go on."

Lettuce looked at it, slightly dazed before Ichigo's words brought her back to reality. "Oh right. So afterwards, we made a run for it out of the mall. It was a good thing all the spectators thought we were shooting a movie. I think I heard one of them say something about Zakuro in a new film with Li Long. They were supposed to shoot a scene at the mall today."

"Who the heck is Li Long?"

A rosy tint crept onto Lettuce's cheeks, not that the redhead noticed it as she was so involved in her packing. "He…would be the actor Pudding beat up."

"No…way." Ichigo turned her attention to her, mouth gaping.

"Um…well yes."

"Oh! Toothbrush. Hold on." With that, the redhead hopped out of the room and raced towards the bathroom. Lettuce smiled. It was so Ichigo to be able to distract herself like that.

She returned within a minute, holding a toothbrush kept in a ziplock bag. "So Li Long must not be all that famous if I've never heard of him." She stuffed the toothbrush into her black duffel bag.

"No, he is in fact extremely popular in China. He's still a rising actor and he may soon rival Zakuro as an international star!"

"Hmm? Didn't take you for a fangirl Lettuce. Since when were you so interested in all that celebrity gossip."

"I'm not!" The girl's cheeks turned a whole new shade of red.

Ichigo paced the room, eyes scanning for anything else she might have missed. Tonight would have to be absolutely perfect. Even if Ryou and Lettuce were now dating, it didn't mean that she shouldn't look drop dead gorgeous in front of him at any time. She simply wanted to show him what he had missed.

"It's just that after I got to know him…"

The redhead froze midstep. "…got to know him? Isn't it a little difficult to get close to stars?" Okay, so she really wasn't one to say that considering how they were all pretty close to Zakuro. "And what do you mean _'got to know him'_?" She crossed her fingers, hoping that it meant what it sounded like.

Lettuce nervously played with her hands as she sat with her legs crossed on the edge of Ichigo's fluffy pink (big surprise there) bed.

"_Hmm_?"

"Well, you know that I went to visit him in the hospital right?"

"Lettuce! Don't tell me _he's_ the guy you met?!" The redhead knew that the words came out unusually happy, but within the context of Lettuce meeting someone new, Ichigo was lucky that such a tone was appropriate.

"I really did just mean to go there to straighten out the legal things with him and he said he'd drop the charges. But…Oh, Ichigo! He told me he was glad to see me because there was something about me when I tackled him to keep Pudding from attacking."

"Sounds… romantic" Ichigo rolled her eyes, while fighting off a gigantic smile on her face.

"Oh he is! He's not the rough kind of character he always plays in the movies. He's actually really gentle and very considerate. And we spent about 3 hours just talking about different things- our interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes." Her eyes were sparking with stars as she spoke. "And Ichigo, you won't believe this, but he loves _all_ of my favorite books!"

"Typical." Ichigo stated with a slight chuckle. Leave it to Lettuce to think she found the love of her life because of books. But no sooner had she let herself chuckle, did an uneasy feeling sweep the redhead. "…what about Ryou?" No matter how glad she secretly was that they were _not _dating as she had been led to believe when Lettuce announced that she had 'met' someone, she could not help but feel a twang of pain at her chest when she thought about how heartbroken Ryou would be.

A soft pink adorned the face framed with emerald green hair. She stared at her hands which she kept rested on her knees.

"Don't you like him?"

Lettuce looked up uncertainly at the questioning eyes of the redhead. "That might have been true at one time."

"Ugh…_just like what he said at the mall_." Ichigo groaned to herself.

"But it was clear to me that it just wasn't possible because he obviously had feelings for someone else."

"Wait, wait, wait. But isn't he in love with you?"

"What are you talking about Ichigo?"

"Ahh! What the heck is going on?!" The redhead slumped against the wall, head in her hands.

"Ichigo," Lettuce spoke softly and smiled. "Even if that were true, which is doubtful to impossible, I wouldn't trade Li Long for the world."

"No, but…Ryou will be heartbroken! He looks like he already is, though how on Earth he knew about you and Li Long at that time doesn't make any sense. How can you do that to him? Especially after he confessed out loud on the speakers. Can you begin to imagine how hard it could be for him? Besides, he's just as sweet and gentle as your Li Long so why –"

"You really care about him, don't you?" Lettuce offered a knowing smile. Ichigo's burning cheeks answered the question for her.

"W-well of course! We're good friends you know." She said somewhat defensively.

"Ahh, that explains why you call him 'Ryou' now."

Ichigo nodded slightly, her lips pressed together nervously. "I just don't like seeing my friends get hurt."

Lettuce sighed, slowly beginning to piece together the string of words from Ichigo's rant. "What you said about Shirogane-san, I really do agree with you. To think he finally confessed…" She turned to look at the redhead whose cheeks were puffed as she stared blankly at her bag. "He really must be suffering."

Ichigo pressed her hand against her chest, trying to settle the pang that suddenly hit her.

"I bet he'd be glad to see you this concerned about him."

"Pft. He'd be more glad if you didn't hook up with this Li Long guy. Ryou's become one of my closest friends now. I won't stand for him getting his heart smashed to pieces, just remember that. So…at least be gentle."

Lettuce maintained a strained smile. How ironic.

She pointed at the bag on the floor beside the redhead which was now bulging out so much that things were beginning to spill from the pockets. "Ichigo, I do think that's enough packing."

Ichigo's eyes followed Lettuce's finger and widened at the sight of her bag. She had been stuffing it with whatever she could get her hands on. Some time in the discussion, she had gotten so involved that her packing just became a mindless action. "Let's go."

When they had made their way outside, Ryou was tapping his foot impatiently. He stared at his wristwatch with such vigor that Ichigo was certain the glass would crack under his harsh gaze.

"God, girls _always_ take forever."

Yet despite his complaints and groaning, he swiftly snatched the enormous bag Ichigo was struggling with, as she had her knees bent and two hands clasped desperately to it, and threw it a little carelessly into the trunk. Nevermind that there were two of Mint's servants dressed in suits waiting to receive the bag.

Without another word the five of them, that is Ichigo, Ryou, Lettuce, along with the two servants Mint had meant to exploit as laborers, entered the limo. For the majority of the ride, the three remained quiet. Ryou was sandwiched between the two girls and they sat across from the two men. Ichigo took this opportunity to observe the blond and her mew friend, to see if Lettuce had spoken the truth.

What better way to know of their feelings for each other than by watching how they act around each other?

"Baka, what are you staring at?" Okay, so it really wasn't working that well and for some reason it was incredibly tense. But at least Ryou truly did not look the least bit interested in Lettuce. He hadn't once tried to steal a glance at her or to hold her hand.

"One day at the mall really does seem to bring people together. I can't believe it was only a day." Ichigo mused lightly, to rid them of the tense atmosphere. Her thoughts settled on her once reviled blond haired boss who after a series of pranks they pulled together, somehow became her closest friend next to Mint and Keiichiro. It was a secret they shared from the others- a secret all to themselves, and it had built the basis of their incredible trust in each other. At least for her. But she knew that if he hadn't trusted her equally, he would have never opened up to her like in their sincere conversation about being friends, even if she had disliked the conversation itself.

Ryou's cold gaze softened lightly. "I agree."

"Oh, how very true Ichigo." Lettuce chirped, eyes staring up at nothing at all. "I can't wait to see Li Long again." She let out a dreamy sigh as she lost herself to thoughts of a certain actor.

Ichigo turned her attention to Ryou, looking for his reaction to Lettuce's words. Her eyes darted towards him and were suddenly caught into a long stare into his cerulean blue orbs, surprised to find that he had been staring at her all along.

Her mouth went dry at his intense gaze. She nervously watched him brush his lips with his tongue, wetting them slightly. They were…appealing to say the least. And she could not stop staring, memories of the past three incredible kisses flooding through her mind. He slid closer to her and she kept still as he brought a single hand near her face. With her heartbeat racing, she tightly closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting.

She could feel him near her; the familiar vanilla scent overwhelmed her senses as she reveled in the warmth of his sweet breath tickling at her face. He was close, so close. Her heart throbbed hard against her chest as she continued waiting anxiously.

"We're here."

The voice of the driver startled the three. Ichigo's eyes fluttered open and she gasped just slightly at how close Ryou had gotten. He was smiling now, in a somewhat sad way and inched backwards.

Ichigo let out a disappointed sigh, finally releasing her breath before she suddenly gasped once again. She felt the reassuring weight of his hand on her head, all the while his eyes never left her.

"You're hair…it's a little out of place." He used the back of his hand to gently brush at her bangs.

"R-right." She stumbled out of the car behind the blond who had finally pulled away entirely and quickly made her way towards the entrance of the mansion, completely forgetting about her bag as she sped expediently past the sighing Ryou and smiling Lettuce.

"You sure have it tough, Shirogane-san."

"Ugh. Don't I know it."

"That's what you get for falling in love with an idiot." A new voice joined in.

"Mint?!" The two spun around, facing a smirking Mint.

"I thought I'd be here to welcome you guys, but it seems Ichigo left a little too soon." She settled beside Ryou. "So…? The rest of us Mews are waiting. Are you guys finally together yet?"

"Ughhh." He let his head drop into his palms, not even gracing Mint's question with a response. Lettuce shook her head in disappointment.

"Oh." The girl uttered, somewhat disappointed but not too surprised.

"I think Ichigo is a little confused. She did mention something to me about being with Shirogane-san." Lettuce had a finger against her cheek which was slightly pink at what she was saying.

"_Oh_. _That erm, might have been my fault._" But Mint had said it so quietly that no one heard her. She spoke up. "Goodness, and to think I purposely had you guys go back together."

"What do you mean, Mint?" Lettuce inquired.

"_You _missy, weren't supposed to show up!" Mint ignored her apologetic look and continued speaking. "Honestly Shirogane, why do you think I sent Ichigo back home to pack when I still have all her stuff from the mall? This would last her a good month even without any extra clothes from home. "

Ryou gaped at Mint, slightly impressed though a little annoyed. "Didn't Keiichiro tell you _anything_?" The blond finally recovered from his silence. "Don't look at me like that, I didn't mess anything up! She is obviously in love with him! I didn't have a chance from the beginning. I don't even know why Keiichiro backed off for me."

Mint sighed. Shirogane was getting just as blind and thickheaded as her best friend. (Yes, sadly Ryou was now completely overtaken by Baka Strawberry Syndrome, aka falling in love with an idiot.)

"Don't worry boss-man, we'll help you na no da!"

"Goodness, that really is the only way. Ichigo will never figure it out on her own." Mint grumbled to herself.

"Pudding?!" Since when did the monkey girl ever help _him _get close to Ichigo? His head shot up and he quickly scanned the grounds suspiciously. And there she was as he suspected. The last Mew leaned casually against a statue, next to a brunet some distance off. "You guys were spying on us?"

"No they..er… we weren't! We were just going to welcome you here na no da!" The monkey girl denied. It was however, strangely suspicious how she was wearing her detective hat and cape while holding onto a magnifying glass.

When she caught him staring, she quickly hid the magnifying glass behind her. "Uh…hehehe…it was nothing!" In the past hour of waiting for the two main guests, the mews and Keiichiro had thoroughly discussed the situation between the blond and the redhead. And after hearing Keiichiro step down and support the couple, Pudding was finally convinced to help as well. (Little did she notice how Keiichiro had stepped away after a phone call.) Mint in all her suspicions and caution, had a backup plan in case the blond should fail.

The blond rolled his eyes at her. "Real clever."

"So, so, so. Where's my candy?" She pleaded, with eyes staring straight into his blue ones expectantly. "I did save you guys those seats at the food court."

"Uh…Shall we get going then?" The blond nervously spoke hoping to distract the candy-obsessed sugar craving martial arts master. If it wasn't for Mint's hand stopping him, he'd already be safe inside. Pudding had taken down ten grown men at a time after all.

"You guys wait here for another 10 minutes or so before going inside. I've got something to deal with." Her hand dug into his shoulders a little too tightly and her face was strained with a grimace.

The three Mews and the two cofounders of the café watched the figure shrink into the distance and mildly heard her grumbles as she stormed away. "_That idiot!_"

Mint found Ichigo standing awkwardly at the entrance with the large doors swung open. The line of maids and servants greeting them was nothing new to the Lorikeet and seeing her thickheaded friend gape incredulously only frustrated her further from her already foul mood.

"You idiot!" Mint seethed, dragging Ichigo with her past the large greeting hall and up the stairs towards her room. The redhead followed behind without much resistance, though her head occasionally found its way in a slightly slanted position as she shot questioning looks at the back of her friend's head. What could have been so urgent that would be the very first thing Mint needed to talk about? What could make her lose her cool like this? (Though honestly, Ichigo winced slightly at the thought, knowing that she was partly responsible for the Mint's deteriorating smugness.)

Mint swung open the door, pushing Ichigo inside.

"It was _never_ Lettuce."

"W-what? B-but you said they kissed."

Mint groaned, bringing her hands to her head for the 56th time today. Really, her bestfriend was going to be the end of her, or at least the end of her sanity. "That because they _had _to in order to save Shirogane's life that time he almost drowned."

"W-what? Are you sure?"

"_Yes_."

Ichigo brought a finger to her lips, tracing it lightly. "Still…they still kissed…"

Mint watched on with utter exasperation, only a few seconds away from beating down her friend. "Goodness Ichigo, if a kiss resembling CPR _still_ bothers you, you must have it pretty bad for Shirogane-san."

**POP!**

"I-wha-n-no!" Ichigo stared down at her hands, trying avert Mint's unrelenting gaze as she played with the hem of her black vest nervously. Wait…black vest?

_Tinkle. Tinkle._ Her tail lashed uncontrollably from side to side.

"AHH! Oh. My. Jesus. Christ! I'M STILL WEARING HIS SHIRT!"

The Lorikeet quickly plugged her ears, hoping that her friend would not cause permanent deafness along with her growing mental instability. Yet despite her efforts in covering her ears, many of Ichigo's shrilly screeches still managed to make it through the slits of her fingers.

"I'm so lucky no one was home! Oh Mew Aqua, what on Earth would I have done if someone saw that? Why didn't he remind me to change out of it when I got home? Why- " She stopped midsentence, mind just slowly rewinding back a few words. "_Omigod.Someone-did-see-me!Lotsofsomeonessawme!"_

"Will you calm down already Ichigo?"

"How can I calm down when LOTS OF SOMEONES SAW ME?!" She screeched, clutching her vest with teary eyes.

"Eh?"

"In Ryou's _vest_, damnit. People will think something happened between us."

"Something _did_ happen between you two. Or people can just think you're going out."

"I-uh-no…nothing did. And _no, we're not going out._" Ichigo drooped her head slightly at this, her red bangs hung limply over her eyes.

"Hmm? That tone…does that mean you would like to?" Mint smirked. "Besides, would it be so bad?"

"Mint!" She pleaded, clasping onto her friend's hands. "Oh god. How did you know?"

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes at the redhead. "Jesus Ichigo. I knew the moment he made that badly delivered announcement at the mall, and trust me it wasn't about Lettuce."

"But, who else could it be?" Ichigo's eyes were glimmering with confusion though a little voice in her head at the previous possibility she had ruled out was itching at the back of her mind.

Meanwhile, Mint rolled her eyes yet again for the…well she had lost count by this time, but the point was, even her eyes were beginning to loosen from their place in her sockets. There was only so much she could deal with and it was especially worse that her closest friend was the type of person who required an immense amount of patience to deal with – an immense amount of patience that Mint in no way possessed.

She watched Ichigo carefully in silence, tired of trying to explain things. Maybe if the girl just gave it some thought, the answer would come to her.

And just as Mint had completed that thought, the redhead's face brightened up slightly.

"Finally." The Lorikeet breathed out a sigh of relief.

"So it _is_ Mint!" The redhead brought a fist to her palm in revelation.

**Whack!**

"Owie!"

"Ichigo you idiot! You're absolutely impossible!" Mint groaned, now pulling at strands of her hair. She was sure that she was beginning to get patches of bald spots. "You're paying for my hair formula!"

"Oh don't be silly Mint. You're so young!" She walked over towards the fuming girl and softly brushed at her hair. Little did she expect small clumps of it to come off so easy when she pulled away. Quickly, she hid her hand, chuckling awkwardly. "Uhh…hehehe…" But Mint hadn't missed anything.

"AND my damn therapy bill!"

"But you're fi– "Ichigo stopped midsentence, as if catching exactly what she was saying as she observed her friend with disheveled hair and a half crazed look. "B-but I'm nowhere as rich…I can't pay for everything."

"Ugh. You're right. You just cover the hair loss. Shirogane will pay for the therapy. He's half the problem."

Ichigo beamed triumphantly.

"HEY! That's not what I wanted to talk about!" Mint rubbed her temples. She had gotten sidetracked by mindless banter, slowly sinking into her friend's utter ditsy-ness without even realizing it. It was infectious to say the least. No wonder even the genius blond had fallen victim to it.

She'd never imagine the day when she'd be helping Shirogane get close to Ichigo, but it was clear to her that help was unquestionable necessary.

"Mint…how can you even be so sure that it's not you?"

Mint groaned, fighting off the urge to whack her clueless friend yet another time. Well, at least all suspicions of Lettuce were gone, which meant that they had somewhat progressed in the conversation.

"_Because_ I know! And I'm not as blind as you, you idiot!" She was now half sobbing into her hands, disheveled hair and all still apparent. "Let's go have dinner downstairs first. They're all waiting I bet." Ichigo took no time to lose and immediately hopped up, pulling Mint along with her.

"God, Shirogane's in trouble. I need to talk to the Mews." She seethed as she watched her redheaded friend skip up ahead in front of her. It thoroughly annoyed her. "I should _seriously_ get paid for all of this."

All previous sad thoughts of the blond were apparently forgotten, since Ichigo could now be clearly heard squealing in delight: "Food! Food! Food! Food! Food!"

Mint bounded after the hyper catgirl who was already drooling at the thought of the feast that awaited them. The Lorikeet clenched her hands into tight fists, ready to knock out a certain blond whom she was going through so much trouble for. And after she'd knock him senseless, not to mention force him to pay for her therapy as previously stated, she'd go after Ichigo for being such a ridiculously thickheaded impossible piece of work.

* * *

Unfortunately, there's little IxR interaction here, but I'll be sure to make it up soon. This chapter wasn't as eventful but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. It was mostly to move the plot along. I tried to make it a bit funnier to make up for the lack of action.

At least Ichigo doesn't suspect Lettuce anymore! And her jealousy over the meaningless kiss is showing exactly how much she's starting to like Ryou. Too bad Ryou's getting so frustrated, he's almost giving up. :(

I'm trying to go for a realistic development in their feelings for each other. I'd honestly like to know what you think about that. Are their growing feelings believable?

_Btw, would you readers like some spoilers for the upcoming chapters? Just a thought...totally unnecessary considering you'd eventually read the actual chapters yourself anyway, but I figure, since I have some sort of idea where this is heading, I can at least give you that much ahead of time._


	22. Let's Have Dinner

**Unspoken Words**

An update at long last! Sorry it took so long. I got really into my Shugo Chara fanfic and it was hard to get back into this story. This chapter was a bit difficult to write, and it's not as eventful as the others...but I'll try to make it up to you guys soon.

Enjoy the read anyway! 10+ reviews until the next update.

* * *

Last time, in Chapter 21 of Unspoken Words:

Ichigo gets ready for the sleepover. Lettuce tells her about her newfound love, Li Long, whom she had just visited in the hospital (and conveniently dropped all charges against her and Pudding). Even though Ichigo is ecstatic, she still defends Ryou and tells Lettuce that she should be gentle.

On the car ride to Mint's house, Ichigo observes the two, trying to figure out if Ryou is interested in Lettuce. But rather than looking at Lettuce, Ryou has been staring at Ichigo the entire time. She gets flustered thinking Ryou is about to kiss her, but they get interrupted; the driver announces that they have arrived. When she feels his hand against her head, she once again blushes waiting for more, but he only adjusts her hair. Nervously, the girl races out of the car, heading toward the mansion while she leaves everything else behind - her luggage, Lettuce, Ryou and not to mention the spying Mews and Keiichiro who waited near the car to supposedly "greet" them upon arrival.

Lettuce offers her sympathy to Ryou, clearly understanding his feelings. Even Mint steps in and reveals that she knows about his feelings (no surprise there) when she comments that his troubles are due to falling in love with an idiot. Pudding appears offering her support as well, and as the blond suspects, he finds the last two people hiding some distance away, knowing that they had all come to spy on them. Apparently they had all been waiting to see if Ryou and Ichigo have finally gotten together, but are not at all surprised to find out that they haven't.

Besides, that's what they were doing for that extra hour - scheming on backup plans in case the two don't come back as a couple.

Mint goes after the redhead and tells the others to give her ten minutes. Dashing after Ichigo, she finds her utterly astounded and dazed as she is being greeted by a team of servants and maids. Mint violently drags her to her room, and tries to clarify the situation about Lettuce. After all, the Lorikeet _had_ been the one to put the idea in Ichigo's head.

Ichigo finds out that the kiss between the two had only occurred as a wa to save Ryou's life, but she is no less disappointed that they still had kissed. Of course, Mint can't resist to comment on how badly the redhead must have fallen for the blond, surprising Ichigo that her bestfriend knew about her feelings. Yes, poor Mint who at this point is fast becoming a crazy bald lady.

After a series of frustrating exchanges, mindless banter, and an agreement to pay for a certain someone's hair formula, they head downstairs for dinner.

_Just a side note - Yes, Ichigo is still wearing his vest X) even though it's not explicitly mentioned in this chapter. Let's just say she got a bit too comfortable in it, eh? :P_

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 22****: Let's Have Dinner  
**

"Finally!" Pudding chirped, practically bouncing out of her seat. Ichigo gaped at the banquet before them. It was just as magnificent as she had imagined. Before her lay a feast beyond compare; five dishes of whole rotisserie chicken, honeyed ham, plates of salad before each guest as an appetizer topped with caviar; and for those who preferred a more traditional flavor, there was a humungous range of sushi including the exquisite delicacy – blowfish sashimi, which could only be handled by the most skilled chefs, and of course, the main dish that Ichigo was eyeing: a large plate of fish fillet doused in a rich creamy orange sauce.

The scent of fish filled her nostrils and soon the redhead found herself lost in anticipation, mouth half parted at the sight. Her cat genes were going wild. A little further off from that alluring dish was the tantalizing smell of liver. God, how she loved liver and fish after she was infused with wildcat DNA!

"Stop drooling Kitty Ichigo." Her momentary daze was broken by Ryou.

Ichigo directed her gaze at the blond, standing awkwardly in place while hooking her arm against Mint's. Her cat tail twitched slightly.

"Let's sit Mint nya." Ichigo said as she motioned to take the empty seat beside Keiichiro. Having noticed the open seat beside the blond, who sat with Lettuce on his other side, the redhead decided to allow her best friend to take that place.

The lengthy banquet table could have seated 14 people- six on each side and two more at the ends of the table, but the unnecessary seats were taken away. Instead, there were three seats at each side though the chair at the head of the table was left alone. Of course, Mint would have rather taken the head seat but Pudding was currently occupying it. Oh well, her own seating arrangement wasn't quite as important as a certain redhead's.

"Idiot, you sit _there._" Mint seethed, pointing beside Ryou.

"A-are you sure?"

Being so very frustrated with her friend, Mint didn't even grace her with a proper answer and instead only grunted. It seemed as though Ichigo's antics were not only driving the girl insane, but was also slowly taking away her ability to speak.

"I don't bite _catgirl_." For some reason, Ryou seemed just a bit peeved and he mildly narrowed his eyes at his brunet friend who sat across from him before giving in to a slight sigh. Meanwhile, Zakuro observed the stuttering redhead who was now being shoved into the seat across from her own.

Luckily for Ichigo, her nervous blush was broken as soon as she noticed that the large plate of fish and liver were placed right before her. She barely noticed that the others had begun to eat.

Mint heaved a deep sigh, finally letting herself take a break as she sat beside Keiichiro, with Zakuro on his other side. When she slumped into her chair, Lettuce, who happened to be seated across from her, offered a weak knowing smile for encouragement.

"Fish nya! Chicken! Liver nya!" Ichigo exclaimed, tail slapping behind her in excitement. Her words earned her a soft chuckle from Ryou and she spun around to face him. Her pulse raced just at the sight of him smiling kindly. It was a rare expression.

"I guess that Meow Mix commercial is right."

"Nya?"

The blond placed a hand above her head, resting it there for a brief moment before he began to rub her soft black ears. Her cat genes once again took over. His hands were so warm and comforting. The way he deftly moved them against her sensitive ears made her shiver with delight and soon a resonating rumble emerged from her throat at the utter bliss of Ryou's touch.

"_Purr….purrr…Ryou…purr_"

Mint nodded slightly, Keiichiro choked on his food, Lettuce smiled, Zakuro smirked and Pudding, good ole' reliable Pudding, practically jumped onto the table screaming "Lovey-dovey Ichigo-niisan and bossman!"

Not that Ichigo noticed any of it. She hadn't even known that she had just announced the blond's name out loud.

Ryou finally pulled away with a sigh of disappointment. "See, it's not so bad sitting next to me is it?"

"Eh?"

"Hmm…" Zakuro offered a low murmur and Ichigo's head shot up at the sound. Just in time to catch a glimpse at all the mews staring at them with a softened expression. "W-what?"

None of them answered, but continued to smile in that creepy way of theirs. "You guys are creepy…" She gave a slight shudder before grabbing onto Ryou's shoulder to hide behind him without realizing it.

Their grins got wider, all eyes darting from Ichigo to her hands which were clasping Ryou's shirt so tightly. She followed their gaze and immediately drew back, gasping slightly as she did so.

"I-uh…sorry about that."

"Nevermind. I know you didn't mean to." Ryou said darkly, shooting a momentary glance at Keiichiro.

"Ughhh…" All four mews groaned and dropped their heads that instant.

"Let's dig in." He turned to Ichigo. Like she had to be told twice; she was already grabbing food from every direction with her chopsticks.

"I want chicken! I want liver!"

"_Meowmix Meowmix, please de-li-ver. _I remember that song now na no da!_" _Pudding suddenly perked up, beaming at Ryou. Mint grabbed the girl, whispering low to her. "_Now's not the time. We need to come up with another plan_!"

And so, Mint and the others whispered their plans as Ichigo preoccupied herself with food.

"Geez strawberry, you look like you've never even seen these dishes before." Ryou mused lightly. Leave it to the rich guy to make it sound like everyone's had all these exquisite foods.

Ichigo rolled her eyes at him, nervousness easily forgotten as she chomped down the liver. "That's cuz I haven't! We're not _all_ rich you know."

"Ahh…" He smirked. That was more like the strawberry he knew and loved. "That there," he pointed "is Goose Foie Gras – the liver. And that," he shifted the direction of his chopsticks, bringing it slightly to the left "is Filets de Sole Bonne Femme- the fish."

"Sounds fancy." All this French cuisine was beyond her.

"It is." He said, savoring the fish as well. Ichigo released a heavy sigh. She hadn't even considered that they were worlds apart. Of course Ryou wouldn't like someone as unrefined as her.

The blond hadn't missed her sigh though. "They're my favorites too."

"Cat genes." She offered a smile. After all, it was something that only she and Ryou had in common – something that no one else could possibly understand.

"Mmhmm."

She lost herself briefly to his seductive murmur, eyes suddenly focusing on the lips that had uttered the sound. She barely heard his words as she stared at them moving. "You really should try more foods. Increase your palette, train yourself to taste."

Oh, there was something she'd sure like to try and taste right about now...

"I can help you with that." Oh, really? She'd like to see him try.

She stared at his tantalizing moist lips, completely deaf to the next few words he spoke.

"Uhh…strawberry?" He was waving a hand in front of her. How long had he been doing that for? "So what do you say?"

Say? About what? "Err…"

"I take that as a no?" He spun around, and for a second, she swore she could see disappointment in his eyes. "Or would you rather go with Keiichiro?"

What what what? What just happened?

"_Oh my freaking God. Ichigo is an idiot." _Said Mint, somewhere in the distance. The other Mews nodded.

Ichigo continued to stare at him, utterly dazed. "Go where?"

"To have dinner!" He groaned, now bringing a hand to his head. He shot a glance toward Mint, sending a silent message _You can't say I didn't try!_

"But we're eating dinner now. I'd be too full to eat again after this."

"Jesus Ichigo!" Mint finally shrieked. "God, please help me cure my best friend of this stupidity." She sobbed, walking off. "Someone else take over. I give up. I give up!"

"Eh?" Ichigo tilted her head questioningly.

The other mews groaned, just barely managing to stay at the table themselves.

"Ichigo…I believe Shirogane-san just asked you out on a date." Zakuro spoke calmly. Keiichiro and Lettuce held their breaths, though Pudding had suddenly disappeared from view.

"W-what?! WHAT?! A d-date?!" A date a date a date?! She choked down a squeal.

Oh dear Lord, how did this infatuated girl just miss that?

"N-no, I mean, I was just wondering if you'd like to have a taste at other French foods, since you seem to enjoy this so much." A dull soft shade of pink crept against the blond's cheek. Pudding hopped up suddenly with a magnifying glass at hand as she studied him scrupulously.

He turned away immediately. "As friends of course."

"O-oh…of course you meant that." And Ryou, being so stricken with Baka Strawberry Syndrome at this point, had not noticed the disappointment dripping from Ichigo's voice.

Ichigo gulped and forced a smile. "Sure thing buddy."

Ryou groaned inwardly. After all, his strawberry had completely overreacted when she thought that it was a date. "You're tasting lessons begin now."

"Eh?! Tasting lessons?" Tasting _what_ exactly? She gave a slight shiver, thoughts wandering onto a certain set of lips.

"Well obviously, you should learn how to savor exquisite foods too. What's the point of chomping down everything without really tasting it?"

At this, Ichigo immediately pulled out the length of fish she had not yet sunk her teeth on. "Uhhehehehe…right."

"Now Foie Gras is considered to be a top French delicacy and it can be prepared with many types of liver. Goose liver is softer and more cream-like. While Duck liver is less delicate, it has a stronger flavor…"

Ichigo nodded at his words, absorbing everything as he taught her how to feel the texture of the dishes and how to let the creamy substance settle and melt into her tongue. Even if they were just friends, she couldn't help but be curious about his world. She wanted to know more about him. She wanted to lessen the gap between them and she was only too glad that he had opened up to her enough to teach her.

And so continued the rest of the dinner with the mews carefully observing the pair, occasionally offering their groans at the incredibly idiocy that was the redhead and the incredible stubbornness that the blond had somehow acquired after spending too much time with the redhead. They spent the rest of the time plotting quietly without Mint, with Zakuro now leading the plans. Ichigo and Ryou were left to themselves for the most part and were very much engrossed in their tasting "lessons."

"Ohh I'm so stuffed! Stuffed like a Turkey na no …ugh" Pudding groaned, hugging her stomach. Everyone was finished with the meal, but there was still a pile of food left uneaten.

"Uh huh." Lettuce replied, faring no better.

"What a wonderful meal. We should thank Mint." Keiichiro dabbed the corner of his mouth with a tissue.

"That felt like Thanksgiving." Ichigo groaned.

"Alright, why don't you guys go and unpack first. Since we were here before you, we've already done it." Zakuro spoke with a narrow grin. She turned to Ryou who gave a slight nod.

"Lettuce?" he questioned, before getting up.

"You guys go ahead, I have some news I want to share with the others." Ichigo sent her a supportive smile. Of course, it took some effort to force down the sides of her mouth from grinning like an idiot in extreme relief and happiness. Though, the redhead was determined to confirm it for herself before she completely got her hopes up.

"Let's go Ichigo."

"O-kay."

He waited patiently, already scooting out of his seat. "You're not moving Ichigo."

The redhead lowered her gaze, cheeks glowing red. "It's cuz…I can't move. I'm too full."

He rolled his blue eyes at her as if annoyed and she immediately snapped back. "Like I said, that was like a Thanksgiving feast! I'm surprised _you're_ not full."

"That's because you ate all of my favorite foods baka. There wasn't much left for me."

"Oh." She turned away before turning back around to glare at the blond in realization. "W-wait! I'm _not _a baka!"

"Come on already."

She gasped at his sudden actions. He swiftly pulled her chair aside, and slipped his arms beneath her. Carrying her in his arms, he began walking, quite conscious of the stares they received from the others.

"R-ryou!" The redhead squeaked, her hairline now indistinguishable from her face with her cat features reappearing. His arms were wrapped around hers protectively, just as he had done that time be brought her to get her ankle bandaged. The feel of his skin against hers sent an electrical sensation through her body, for all his innocent touch and the determined glimmer in his cerulean orbs that lulled her into a dazed bliss. A knot formed at her throat as she fondly remembered how gentle he had been, how kind his face looked and how sweet his voice was then. And she was now living that daydream over again.

"Eep!" He pulled her up higher and she nearly gave a squeal in delight. The redhead clasped her arms around his neck and settled her face in the curve of his neck, trying to hide her blush. But his overwhelming scent only made it worse. Her heart thumped so violently against her chest, she was certain Ryou could feel it.

"I…chigo?" His tone arms tensed.

She pulled herself closer at his voice, nuzzling into him as a purr began to take make its way to her throat once again. Although she hadn't noticed, her vibrations of content had loosened his stiff arms and chest. Her purs had caught his attention, and now he gazed at her with a slight smile.

And just like every time he graced her with a real smile, no matter how small it was, the room brightened up, her heartbeat raced and her cheeks grew warm. She could feel her fuzzy black ears twitching, but she ignored it. Nothing else existed but those beautiful blue eyes...

Zakuro smirked at the two, noting the rare color of pink that danced across Ryou's face. "Alright you two. Hurry up with the unpacking. We've got a full night of plans ahead of us."

At Zakuro's words, Ichigo's trance was broken and she nervously shut her eyes to prevent herself from losing once again to those serene pools of crisp blue.

"If I may…" Keiichiro stood up, with his arms open as he faced Ryou.

"No you may not." The blond growled momentarily, before catching himself. But even after he had stopped speaking, his eyes continued to glare at the brunet.

"If you do recall that agreement Ryou…" The blond cursed himself. Certainly, they had made that agreement at the mall that either of them would back off if Ichigo was more interested in one over the other. But at that time, Keiichiro had stepped away and the agreement had worked in favor of Ryou. Now that it wasn't, he was beginning to regret it. Especially since he could no longer deny his feelings toward the girl.

But Ichigo had clearly rejected him, twice even, so it was only right for Ryou to step back and let Keiichiro have a chance, just as the brunet had done for him earlier.

"_Fine_ Keiichiro." He slid his arms away from Ichigo, allowing her to stand on her own feet, but her eyes were still shut tight and she continued her grasp around his neck.

_Tinkle, tinkle._

"Oh? Ichigo?" He mused, smirking with satisfaction. "Would you rather stay here?"

The redhead immediately shoved him away. "Nya-ni?! A-as if, nya!" She spun around with a 'hmph!' and a flash of red cheeks Ryou just managed to get a glimpse of.

"Let's go Keiichiro, nya." Her black tail swept languidly behind her, catching the blond's attention to the motion of her hips as she walked away.

"Milady." The brunet offered a low bow before bringing a hand out to the girl.

"_Lame._" Ryou rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Ouch! What on Earth…?" Keiichiro was suddenly found kneeling on the floor with one hand rubbing his right shin. It throbbed with pain at a sudden kick received from…

"Pudding!" Ichigo chided. "What are you doing?"

"Karate chop!" She announced proudly, still posing after the attack. So it wasn't a kick...

"Tch, never heard the baka defend _me_ before." Ryou hissed bitterly to himself, but Pudding's detective skills were in effect and she had not missed his words.

"Mr. Chef , that's for being so confusing na no da!" The monkey girl was fuming suddenly and positioned herself in front of Ryou, immediately after she straightened herself out from the pose. "First you want to be with Ichigo, then you don't! And then you do again when Bossman _finally _makes a move! Make up your mind already na no da!"

Ichigo's tail stiffened in place, causing another series of jingles to ring.

Ryou stood behind Pudding, arms crossed against his chest casually despite his surprise at her actions. Earlier that day, Pudding would have been attacking _him _for interfering with Ichigo and Keiichiro, not the other way around. A self satisfied grin began to creep upon his lips and he allowed a soft mutter to escape. "How very true Pudding."

"And you Bossman!" She turned around and roughly poked her index finger against his chest as she stood up as straight as possible. "You're not any better! At least Mr. Confused lovey-dovey will say he wants to be with Ichigo-neesan, even if he keeps taking it back. You…you…you don't even do _that_ much even though you keep snarling and growling at Mr. Chef whenever he's around Oneesan. You Mister….mister Wannabe lovey-dovey but too scared to say it stupid bossman!"

Keiichiro and Ryou stood there completely dazed by Pudding's sudden outburst, while Lettuce and Zakuro watched, somewhat impressed. Ichigo herself watched on in silence at first, shocked to hear Pudding's words which she could only hope were true. But Pudding was just an overexcited kid who was spewing about things she didn't understand.

"P-Pudding…" Ichigo tried to comfort the fuming girl, who for some reason was now near at tears. "It's not like that at all…"

"YOU Oneesan. You're the WORST of them all!" The monkey girl pouted, huffing her words.

"W-what? M-me?"

"We're all trying _so_ hard and…and…and" she sobbed, wiping the corner of her eyes with her sleeve. "And you just _never_ get it! No wonder why Mr. Chef keeps changing his mind and why Bossman won't ever say he likes you even if he does!"

"Pudding!" Ryou suddenly growled menacingly, glaring at the young girl.

"Pudding-san. Things are not quite like what you say it is." Keiichiro bent low against the girl, offering a smile.

"I-I-I…I tried so _hard_." She sobbed.

"Pudding…" Ichigo spoke softly, trying to reassure the girl.

"I…I give up too! Even if it's for Ichigo-neesan na no da!" And with that, Pudding bounded in the direction Mint had gone in.

"I…should go get her…" Lettuce said nervously. She went after the sobbing girl, grateful to get out of the tense atmosphere herself.

Ichigo's eyes followed the monkey girl then darted back and forth between the brunet and blond, both of whom would not look her in the eyes. Groaning, she brought her hand against her temples. "What the hell is going on? I just don't get it! Ahh! That was so random!"

Zakuro smirked, catching the furtive wink sent to her by Pudding before she left. "Maybe not…I guess I owe her the 5 bags of candy now." She mused secretly to herself.

"Ichi-chan," Keiichiro stepped forward and extended a hand to the redhead. His cheeks were slightly rosy though his words were no less calm than usual. "Care for a talk?"

She raised an eyebrow at him uncertainly at first, before giving in to a sigh. Could Pudding's words have some truth to it? If so, then what she had said about Ryou- was that true as well? Did Ryou have feelings for her? Her cat ears continually twitched at the thought and her tail lapped playfully behind her.

"Ugh." Why was that the first thing she wondered? Shouldn't she be more concerned about the situation at hand, that is, Keiichiro's possible feelings for her? She had never really considered it before...but maybe it was something she should really think about. He had always been there for her after all…

Noticing that Keiichiro had been slightly taken back by her quiet groan, she quickly brought her hands in front of her and waved them frantically in denial. "T-that was nothing nya! S-sure let's talk." She rubbed hand against her head awkwardly.

Ryou narrowed his eyes at the redhead, hands itching to pet her ears just to stop them from twitching so nervously at the sight of the brunet. And he would have done it to, if not for the sudden interruption from Zakuro. "I'd like to have a talk as well. It'll only take a minute, and then you can head upstairs."

Ichigo's ears perked up at the sound. "So it was ZAKURO!" She squeaked.

* * *

I didn't like this chapter that much :X Personally, I found it very difficult to write since I had taken a break from this writing style for awhile. Look forward to the next chapter, it should get better. Sorry this wasn't very eventful...it definitely could have been delivered better.

I don't know. I might end up redoing this chapter or at least tweak it up a bit after I update this.

--

_Don't get too annoyed. This __is a IxR fanfic. Yes, it's agitating to see them apart, but I want to make the story believable so that even non-IxR fans end up loving the pair. (Quite ambitious of me, I know but that's my ultimate goal - to convert everyone into supporters of Ichigo and Ryou!)_

_No, that's not really my goal. I do however want to make it realistic enough for people to feel the progression of their relationship. And hey, if any non-IxR fans do in fact end up loving them because of this fanfic, that'd just show how well I've developed their feelings for each other. It's one of the things I strive for in my writing, to be able to cause my readers to feel the characters' happiness, sadness, hopefulness, frustration even. Or just to laugh out loud or cry even (haven't quite aimed for that yet in this story...It may happen though, so get some tissues ready! Maybe.)_


	23. Keiichiro's Girlfriend

**Unspoken Words**

Be warned! This chapter gets a little...intense. Not meant for a younger audience.

10+ reviews before the next update. Enjoy the read! I definitely had fun writing this one.

* * *

**Chapter 23: Keiichiro's Girlfriend**

Deep within a remote corner of Mint's mansion, an agitated redhead knelt in front of a large duffel bag. Her arms were sunk into the abyss of the mysterious bag down to her elbows and she viciously tore through the items, fingers wading through the layers of clothes as she searched for her toothbrush.

"Ahhh! I know I packed it!" She growled.

Meanwhile, Ryou was settled next to her, wearing a similar annoyed scowl as he dug through his own luggage. "I _told_ you not to pack so much!"

"But we might need it."

The blond ignored the bright colors of cloth flying through the air as Ichigo swung top after top out of her bag carelessly onto the bed, chairs and floor of the bedroom. "I can't believe you actually talked me into bringing all of this." He growled, agitation apparent in his voice.

"Like I said, we might need it."

Ryou's hand managed to brush across something curious within his bag, and he brought it out to look. A delicate device, the size of his palm lay snugly in his hand. He turned to Ichigo and raised an eyebrow at her. "Even this?"

"Oh come on Ryou, that's totally useful. Take it with you."

"A GPS? Are you serious?" He stared at her incredulously, but she only shrugged in response. He returned his attention on the bag before him. Ryou didn't have many personal belongings as it was and it seemed as if his entire life was stuffed into this one bag.

"Just for one night, and you convinced me to bring…" He paused for a moment, digging his hand once again into the darkness and randomly drawing out an object. "The photo of my family…" He drew another. "A first aid kit? I'm sure Mint would have that…" And another. "Batteries…A flashlight. What the hell? When'd I pack this?"

"Oh, I packed those for you." She didn't even turn around to face him and continued to search for her toothbrush. "Take the flashlight with you too. Who knows when there might be a power outage?"

Ryou groaned but despite it slipped the items into his pockets. (Yes, just as Ichigo had commented, they _were_ large enough to hold the said items.) His hands continued to reach through his belongings, and finally fell upon the item of interest. "Found mine." He commented, drawing out his blue toothbrush. He looked around, trying to find out exactly where he was supposed to put it.

"Ichigo…?" His eyes had fallen upon a door some distance off from the entrance to the room.

The redhead only continued to growl in agitation, though not from her endless search as Ryou would suspect. Her mind was currently occupied by other thoughts- concerns over a certain purple haired mew and an attractive blond speaking in low whispers when she had looked past the shoulders of her brunet friend. Yes, it might have been a little rude to seem so detracted from her conversation with Keiichiro, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her.

"Ichigo?" Again, his inquiring voice fell on deaf ears.

"Strawberry!" Finally, Ryou managed to catch Ichigo's attention.

"What?" She whined, feeling utterly miserable.

"Hmm…" At this, the redhead's cat ears suddenly popped out. The blond watched her curiously, but wore an amused smirk.

"Oh stop it!" She threw a random item at him, cheeks now warm. In the next instant however, her eyes grew wide and her mouth gaped in horror. Her furry ears twitched repeatedly but her tail had become so stiff that not a single tinkle could be heard from the bell.

"Wow…I didn't know you wore such lacy bras Ichigo." Ryou stated dryly like his usual self, but the redhead could clearly read his eyes dancing with glee. "So you're giving me this?" Though he teased, his ears were tinted pink. "Or are you going to pose for me in this?"

"O-Of course not!" She shrieked, stomping over.

"Let's see…it's a thirty-" But whatever size it was, the redhead snatched it before he could get a good look. Her cheeks were now as brightly red as the color of her hair.

"HENTAI!" She screeched, delivering a slap across his face. He rubbed away the red imprint on his cheek, ridding himself of the dazed expression he wore. Then, collecting himself to the usual calm Ryou that he was, he continued.

"Why not give it to me?" He cooed, inching over. Ichigo quickly hugged the item closer to her protectively. She sat crossed-legged facing away from him to hide it.

"I let you keep _my_ clothes."

She spun around. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He pointed and her eyes followed the direction of his finger down her own body, which was wrapped in the familiar black vest. "Oh Sh – I forgot!" She muttered, tail lashing wildly behind her.

His blue eyes absorbed the sight, relishing her cute embarrassment. He cherished these moments that only they shared together, even if Ichigo thought he was only teasing her.

"I-I'll go c-change r-right n-now!" She stuttered, immediately jumping up.

"There's no rush." Ryou responded, pulling her back down to sit next to him. "…Considering I'm letting you keep it." He wrapped his left arm around her waist in a backwards hug, pulling her back into his chest. With his other hand, he reached for her ears. "Besides, you look good in it."

"R-Ryou!'' She stammered, leaning back into his chest despite herself. Her heartbeat shot up and she could feel the soft heaving of his chest. It was erratic despite his confident tone. His breath brushed by her ears and she could hear his shallow intake of air.

His fingers played with her fuzzy ears, stroking them gently. His touch made her shiver with delight. Even Masaya, who had often handled her cat ears with admiration and care, never managed to get a purr out of her as quickly as Ryou did.

"What…_purr_…about…_purr…_Zakuro?" She struggled to get the words out. With each word, she felt herself sinking deeper into utter bliss being seated so snugly between his legs within the comfort of his strong arms.

"What _about _Zakuro?" He drawled, settling his chin upon her shoulder. She let out involuntary groan at his low voice, causing his lips to curve up into a satisfied smile. After all, it had been Zakuro who had just told him to be more forward with the girl.

He leaned forward, pulse racing with every progressive pass he made at the redhead. He knew he was breaking his pact with Keiichiro but Ryou found that he had long ago fallen victim to Baka Strawberry Syndrome and it was too late to turn back. Even before all the silly games at the mall, even before Keiichiro had befriended his strawberry, and before Mint and Zakuro had forced him to realize his feelings, those feelings for the girl had always been there.

"You JERK!" She shot up suddenly, pulled away from her daze.

"What?" He sat on the floor staring up at her with confusion and slight annoyance for having ruined the moment.

"D-don't you care about Zakuro?"

"Huh?"

Ichigo stared long and hard at the blond who seemed honestly confused. Did she dare to ask him if something had gone wrong between them? But that would be intruding on their business…which didn't really concern her.

"B-Besides, I-I'm dating Keii-kun now." She stammered, spinning away from him and storming towards the bathroom.

"WHAT?" The blond immediately pushed himself up from the ground, his usual cold eyes were ablaze with a new fury.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" His eyebrows were arched together and he wore a frightening scowl.

"N-nothing!" She slammed the bathroom door behind her, breathless as she leaned against the door. Her body heaved up and down with nervous gasps of air. "I said I'm changing out of your clothes." Ichigo screamed as soon as she caught her breath.

Ryou fisted his hands against the door. "Did you say you were _dating_ Keiichiro? Is that what he wanted to _talk_ to you about?!" He gave the door a final punch before he slammed his forehead into it groaning. That explained why her cat features had popped out when the brunet was talking to her. That explained why she looked so flustered when he managed to steal a glance at her from beyond Zakuro's insistent glares.

"Yes, so what?" Ichigo replied, now resting her palms against the sink as she faced the mirror. She was bright pink and her lips trembled as she spoke. "W-we're just friends right? So what does it matter to you?"

"_A whole damn lot_" he muttered from the other side. Her cat ears perked up immediately, just managing to pick up his soft words. But she couldn't be certain if she had heard it since at the very moment, he spoke as if nothing was wrong at all. "Zakuro's going to be disappointed. For some reason, she _really_ insisted on us being together. Me and you." He paused. When he didn't get a response from the girl, he continued speaking. "Yes, ridiculous I know considering we're _just_ friends." He choked on the words, glaring bitterly at the stream of light emerging from the bottom of the bathroom door.

It was too late after all. Keiichiro had done exactly what he said he would- snatch Ichigo away from him. Ryou should be happy for them shouldn't he? The two most important people in the world to him now had each other, right? Then why did he feel so utterly miserable?

Oh right. There was that whole, completely in love with Ichigo thing. Not that it mattered anymore.

So with a final sigh, the blond peeled his bruised forehead away from the door and leaned against it. With his back against it, he slowly slid down until he hit the floor with his knees buckling beneath him. He closed his eyes and tried to ease away the pain, knowing full well that the aquamarine orbs were once again revealing more than he wanted to. He lulled away the suffocating grip at his chest, trying to forget just as he so often did with his nightmares about his parents.

Twice, he had loved and lost.

His usual golden hair hung dull and limp from his head, covering his expression. He brought his hand to rub against his temples in an attempt to rid himself of another headache.

Silence befell them for a few awkward minutes.

"Baka," He finally spoke. Ryou Shirogane was stronger than this. Getting up, he smoothed out his pants, resolving to act like a 'friend.' He shuddered at the word.

"You…" he gulped. "done changing yet? I might as well change back into the vest. I _am_ quite fond of it." Not to mention, he'd like to wear it while Ichigo's scent was still there. A little pathetic for him, but what's a smitten boy to do?

A muttered 'yes' came from beyond the door. Ryou straightened himself up, adjusted his collar and brushed his hand through his hair before slowly turning the handle of the bathroom door. It wouldn't be that hard to go back to his usual behavior right? After all, he had kept himself closed more often than not and his façade around Ichigo had been kept for three long years. What's another day on top of that?

-+-+-+-+-+-

Ichigo faced the mirror, staring straight at the pleading expression she saw before her. She could hear Ryou slamming his fists against the door and the sound of his beautiful low voice. For some reason, she sensed sadness in his tone. It was the same sadness that he had been hiding in the past few hours – ever since they had gone to pack their things from home. Strange, how she was able to read him now when he had been an enigma almost the entire time she had known him.

The redhead sighed, turning on the faucet. She splashed cold water on her face trying to numb away her emotions. So far, she had suspected Mint, Lettuce and now Zakuro. For a single man, she had easily turned against her own friends. Well, it wasn't exactly turning against them, but even so… a single attractive blond named Ryou was able to make her suspect nearly all the Mews. If Pudding wasn't so young, she would have probably turned against her due to her uncontrollable jealousy.

She had it bad. Real bad. And she had no idea how to come to terms with losing Ryou to Zakuro, if he was even dating her to begin with. Ichigo switched off the faucet, staring hard at her reflection.

"Zakuro's going to be disappointed. For some reason, she _really_ insisted on us being together. Me and you."

She heard his voice from beyond the door and her head suddenly rose from its position against the sink. "Zakuro…supported me." She said somewhat dazed. Her eyebrows furrowed together as guilt overwhelmed her. She had suspected yet another good friend, and Zakuro had been trying to help her all along. In fact, so had Mint despite her impatience.

Wait. If she actually thought about it, Lettuce and Pudding had been supporting her and Ryou as well. Even Keiichiro…

The short but sincere conversation she had with the brunet only a few minutes ago flooded her mind.

"_So you like Ryou." Keiichiro smiled down on her thoughtfully. There was a hint of sadness behind it._

_At a loss for words, Ichigo could only bite her lip nervously, trying to make her cat features disappear. She could feel her cheeks glow brightly._

"_The fog has finally cleared up it seems. I'm glad you've figured it out."_

"_Kei-kun," her voice quivered. "It's impossible. He doesn't return those feelings." She looked away, unable to meet Keiichiro's calm gaze._

"_I wouldn't be so sure about that." He mused. _

"_What do you mean?" Curiosity killed the cat, but maybe in Ichigo's case it'd repair the broken pieces of her heart._

"_Do you want to be with Ryou?"_

"_Yes." She could only squeak it timidly, but there was no hesitation._

"_Then why don't we…" He had whispered the rest of the words to her. "Perhaps you can finally cure his loneliness, Ichi-chan." Keiichiro said kindly, resting a hand on her shoulder._

"_If he'd let me…" She murmured. He smiled at her, hoping that things would go according to plan._

"_Well then Ichigo Momomiya. Would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" He offered her a hand._

_The redhead had not been surprised by the question at all, but only sent him a thoughtful smile. "Why of course, my dear Keiichiro." Taking his hand, she muttered. "I hope this works."_

"_Oh, it most certainly will. I guarantee it." Keiichiro's eyes glimmered with amusement. "Now make your way upstairs already." Giving a final wink, the brunet pushed her slightly forward. _

Yes, she had everyone's support even Keiichiro, who may have supported her most of all considering his deep attachment to Ryou. All Ichigo had to do now was make the blond fall for her hard. There was no reason to be disappointed. If Ryou didn't love her, she would just find a way to make him fall in love with her.

Her gaze fell on the black vest she still wore. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Ryou as determination flowed through her.

There was no way she would let him go so easily. Bringing her hands beneath the bottom of the shirt, she pulled it up and mildly heard Ryou speak after a long moment of silence.

"Hold on!" The vest was stuck around her head and muffled her words. She couldn't seem to recall exactly how it had slipped on so easily at first, but she soon brushed away the thoughts as frustration overwhelmed her yet again. Nothing was going right, just nothing!

"UGHH! AHH grr!" Despite all her determination, it didn't change the fact that Ryou had wanted to be just friends. And to make her mood worse, it was impossible to get the damned shirt off, no matter how much she tugged. As if reminding her exactly how impossible it was for her to let him go, the vest refused to release her poor head from its unrelenting grip.

"Um…" That mildly sounded like Ryou's voice, the redhead noted before resuming wrestling the black cloth of torture.

The blond had cautiously pushed the door open and found himself staring at Ichigo posing in her bra with her arms raised up. His hand had been gripping the handle of the door a little too tightly the entire time, jaw dropped at the scene before him. Pink laces adorned her nearly exposed chest, covering the milky skin of her br-

He screamed for his legs to move, before he got caught and received another vicious slap across the face, before even his thoughts had gone too far. But just his luck, they refused to budge as if weighed down by lead. All he could do was gape; attempt to close his jaw and then just have it drop in the very next second. Certainly, he had made a passing comment about Ichigo modeling her bra for him to tease her, but how was he supposed to know she'd take it seriously?!

MOVE! He screamed at his legs again, but they just wouldn't listen, especially when his eyes refused to look at anything else. They were glued to the very appetizing image of an incredibly beautiful redhead. His fingers were twitching. If only he could smooth his hands over her hips, past that flat stomach and through the curves of her supple breasts. His eyes glazed over with a hungry look as his mind ran through a million scenarios, all involving _exactly_ what he would like to do to her. Or rather, how he'd like to.

God, he was a pervert. Damn hormones.

"R-ryou?"

_Oh shit_. His eyes widened at her voice in fear of being smacked senseless for overstepping his boundaries. But then he noticed something strange…

"What are you doing strawberry?" His voice had returned to his usual tone though his fingers still itched for a touch. His curiosity over exactly why she was flailing around with a black cloth wrapped around her head calmed him just enough to speak.

"You're damn vest is stuck!" Though her voice normally would have been muffled, her sudden frustrated shrill was easily understood.

And then another strange idea occurred to Ryou as he stood ever so awkwardly, gaping at the redhead who apparently could not see him.

No, despite his attraction towards her, he was an honorable man who would never take advantage of such a situation. (As honorable as a man could be. He was however a man as well, thus he could not be blamed for become entirely captivated by the dancing half naked girl before him.)

"Why didn't you scream for me to get out?" He wondered out loud.

"I told you I'm stuck!" She shrieked. "Stop staring and help me already!"

He nervously gulped. It seemed as though she was able to see through the vest. Her rude screams had finally knocked some feeling into his muscles which previously lacked any sort of response. He forced two hands into his pockets, clenching them together in tension while strolling quite calmly towards the redhead.

"How on Earth are you going to help me with your hands in your pockets?" She snarled. She was hopping around and nearly tipped over, if not for the steadiness of Ryou's body as he stood in front of her.

His body tensed at the weight of Ichigo against him, but after calming his erratic breath, he spoke all the while trying to avoid looking down at the figure leaning on him. "Just relax will you? Did you forget that it zips?"

The struggling figure suddenly stopped moving. "R-right."

"Don't move so much." He reached over the top of the vest which was lifted above the girl's shoulders and found a very red-cheeked Ichigo staring up. Despite all her screaming, she had been absolutely flustered at being seen like this. He reached down below her neck within the cape of darkness and pulled the zipper.

"Finally!" She heaved, now trying to catch her breath.

Ryou casually made his way towards the closed door. His voice was confident, but his steps faltered. "That was utter idiocity." He stopped walking immediately. "Damnit. Get dressed already."

His tone was somewhat annoyed. Ryou most definitely did not want to be stuck alone in the bathroom with a half naked girl whom he was only supposed to be 'friends' with.

Ichigo, quite clueless to why Ryou suddenly chided himself, walked over towards him with her new goal in mind. Her determination had not been forgotten and despite the knot at her throat, thoughts of Keiichiro's words edged her on.

"R-ryou." Her voice was unusually timid but she turned his body around with her hands on his shoulders. His eyes stared down at her with confusion at first, before catching a glimpse of her body. He immediately looked away.

"_Ryou_, thank you." The way his name rolled off her tongue made him shiver slightly. She tip-toed, leaning against him as she planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Seeing him turn a shade of pink at her body pressed against his own, her lips gave way into a narrow grin of self-satisfaction.

"Anything for you, strawberry." He whispered, eyes revealing the sincerity of his words. She stared at him, drawn to the crisp blue of his shimmering eyes.

"_Anything_, you say?" She said seductively intertwining her fingers into his. His suspicious gaze fell on the redhead, but his body followed her lead. He had apparently lost control over it some time ago.

She pulled him forwards out of the bathroom, leading him purposefully into the dim glow of the light in the bedroom. The black vest lay forgotten. His mind zipped through the same million scenarios, eyes focused on the elastic strap on her slim back that could be easily snapped off.

"Ichigo…what are you doing?" His tone was serious, but it was followed by a gulp.

"Shh…" She pushed him hard against the lone bed, torso covered with only a bra still.

"Seriously, what are you doing?" He asked, voice quivering. He silently prayed for the girl to stop pushing him past his limits.

She climbed onto the bed, straddling him. Bending down low, she pressed her nearly bare chest against him as she whispered in his ear. "Finishing what we started on the couch in the mall."

"Don't…" He muttered as she licked the tip of his ear playfully, hands pressed against either side of his head. "Ichi…"

"Don't what?" She lulled, nibbling his ear before sucking it softly.

"Ahh…" He let out a soft moan as an exhilarating sensation ran through his body, creeping into his pants.

"Don't stop?" Her lips trailed down to his neck while she pushed the collar of his shirt away. She trailed her tongue down the side of his neck, and catching sight of his usually hidden Mew mark she gently kissed it.

"What…" his breathing was heavy and his eyes were only half open. "…about Keiichiro?"

"What _about_ Keiichiro?" Her tone was playful and her trailing lips finally found its way on the opposite side of his bare neck. She sunk her teeth in, claiming him as hers.

"Ohh…" It earned her another moan from him.

"_I want you_ Ryou." She felt his body shiver beneath hers. She had him where she wanted him. If he couldn't love her, she could at least get him interested.

Ichigo pushed herself up just enough to get a good look. "Your pants are getting a little tight for you Ryou."

He growled, forcefully pulling her into him as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "_I want you too_." He breathed the words heavily. The rumbles of his low voice ran through her body.

Ryou brought both hands to her hips, planting her snugly above him just to make sure she got the idea. He slipped one hand beneath her skirt, tracing a finger up her inner thighs as she sat above him.

"You say you want me?" She whispered, allowing her hands to brush across his body underneath his shirt. "_This is annoying."_ She unbuttoned the top of his dress shirt, before forcefully tugging the entire thing open.

"Ichi…" He groaned, hands now snapping the elastic of her panties. "You…have…no _idea_…what…you do to me." He pulled her close, pressing her harder against his pelvis.

Oh, she was getting an idea. She ran her fingers through his hair, tugging it slightly at the pressure she felt against her. He brought her neck near his lips, licking and attacking her creamy soft skin. Ryou nipped at it, causing the redhead to gasp suddenly. He stroked her hair and sucked the mild bruise to ease the pain.

"You say you want me…but not in the way that I want…" She whispered sadly. "Only like this…"

"Ichigo…?" He pulled back, suddenly alarmed. A single tear trailed down her cheek. "Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere are you?" His cheeks were flushed, as the recent sound of her gasping floated into his mind.

"Here. I'm hurt here." She said, eyes sad as she pressed a hand against her chest.

"What?" He asked a bit confused. He hadn't even began with her breasts yet…

"What am I to you Ryou?" She asked, pressing forward. "Am I just a f-friend?"

He looked at her, dazed. Her russet eyes shook with uncertainty.

"God no. Would I do this with just a friend?" He whispered with a softened expression. He pulled her close into a hug, mildly stirred by the contact of her bare skin against his chest. "You're so much more than that."

"Yeah, almost like family." She scoffed, digging herself closer to him.

He nodded slightly, causing her to let out an exasperated sigh.

"Ryou, do you…do you like someone?" Her pulse quickened and she held her breath. It was better to just ask him directly.

"Ichigo…" He lowered his head towards Ichigo, sniffing the comforting scent of her hair as he played with the silky red strands with his fingers. It wasn't too late. He still had a chance. "Yes. I've been trying to tell you Ichigo. I don't want to be your friend. I don't want to be just your friend."

Before he could say any more, Ichigo interrupted. She could feel her cheeks warm up and knew Ryou noticed the sudden heated furnace against his toned body. "Who is it…that you like?"

He chuckled softly. "Isn't it obvious?"

She shook her head.

"I'll give you a clue. She's one of the Mews."

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"Ah bejeesus. Of all the damn times to come." Ichigo shot up from the bed, glaring at the door.

"You're such a kid" Ryou smirked, rising from the bed himself as he ruffled her hair at the use of the word 'bejeesus.'

"Ryou? Is Ichigo there?" It was Keiichiro. "I can't seem to find her."

"Hide!" The blond seethed suddenly to the girl.

"I'm coming in!"

"But why me?" She huffed, crossing her arms before noticing what she was wearing – or rather, what she was not wearing. He rolled his eyes at her as soon as she realized.

The doorknob turned slowly. "Hold on! Hold on!"

"Roll under the bed!" Ryou whispered sharply, slipping off his shirt to give to Ichigo.

"R..you?" A gaping Keiichiro stood at the doorway.

"I-It's not what you think!"

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I know you've all been waiting patiently for IXR, so that was a mild reward for the long wait!

Just wondering, but do you think the rating for this fanfic should be M rather than T at this point?

Also, would you readers like a juicy lemon? Honestly, I haven't written one before and I wasn't planning to at first because it would limit the number of people who could actually read this story, so I'm leaving it entirely up to you guys. I guess I'll write one if I get at least 15 people who want one.

What were your favorite moments/ chapters? Funniest?


	24. Frustrations of a Younger Brother

**Unspoken Words**

I'm estimating about 30 chapters for this story, maybe more including after Ichigo and Ryou get together. Also, a lemon is questionable. If I do write one, it will most likely be the last chapter or close to last chapter, or a separate one shot. If I don't write one, this chapter is most likely the closest I'll ever get to a lemon.

**_Yes, that's a warning to you underaged kids. Don't drink! Don't drive! And don't read this chapter._**

This chapter is an upper T rating, I think. It borders an M, so I would be cautious. I have warned you.

I'll make sure to include a chapter recap of this chapter in the next one so that those who decide not to read this can still follow the story. I might even do 2 chapter recaps for the last two chapters just so those who started the story and discovered that it's gotten a little too intense for them, can still finish reading it.

**10+ reviews before the next update!** By the way, I hope you guys don't mind it being 30 chapters or more. If you want, I can most likely end it sooner or maybe I'll include a mini ending before I finish the story. (So people can read up to a point and stop.) Well, let me know what you guys prefer.

_Note: I've change the legal age. I know that it's younger in Japan and in most parts of the world, but I made it the same as the US (18). You might think it wasn't really necessary but there's a purpose to this in the story...which you will later find out. Also, I had this in mind when I first started the story and that's why they're all at their respective ages. (No, I did not plan for a lemon or anything resembling a lemon, but I did have plans for other things.)_

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**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 24: Frustrations of a Younger Brother**

"R..you?" A gaping Keiichiro stood at the doorway.

"I-It's not what you think!"

The brunet stood silent for a few minutes, staring at the shirtless blond settled all too comfortably on the bed. His eyebrows furrowed together in dismay.

Ryou returned his gaze, forcing his face back into its normal cold expression.

"Ryou," Keiichiro's tone was serious. "You should have at least locked the door."

The blond continued to stare unflinching though his heart was threatening to thump out of his chest. Had the brunet seen his shirtless girlfriend on the bed with him? Did he know what happened? Despite the questions swarming through his head, Ryou asked as dryly as ever: "What are you talking about?"

"The last time I saw you like this, you were eleven years old. I thought we already had this discussion then."

"Excuse me?" Ryou inquired, still seemingly unfazed although the sound of his heartbeat was pulsing hard against his ears.

Keiichiro finally broke from the gaze, silent for a few minutes. His eyes slowly traced the image of Ryou- from the blond's face gradually down his bare chest and further downward until it settled on the area of interest.

"What on Earth are you staring at?" The blond barked, shooting him a glare before he finally decided to follow Keiichiro's eyes to where they were looking.

"Oh…Geez!" He quickly brought two hands over his pants, covering the area between his legs.

"It's um…quite alright Ryou. Human nature. Just make sure you lock the door next time."

"Get out." Ryou snarled, now pulling the covers of the bed from the edges where it was tucked in. He flopped it over himself.

"There are some things I had hoped to discuss with you." Keiichiro stated as he walked in, closing the door behind him. Such is the way of a parent; as soon as you tell them to get out, they stroll right in.

"It. Can. Wait." The blond groaned, his eyes darting from Keiichiro to his own hands which clasped the bed cover so tightly.

Keiichiro ignored his words, causing the blond to drop his head in exasperation. Settling on the edge of the bed beside the blond, the brunet scanned the room with a curious look on his face. Across the carpeted floor were articles of female clothing; tops, skirts and the like. But as luck would have it, Ichigo's undergarments were sprawled across the bed and chairs. "Getting it on with…Ichigo's clothes?"

"Keiichiro!" The blond snapped, quite aware of an eavesdropping redhead hidden somewhere under the bed and very much appalled by the brunet's suggestion. "If you haven't noticed, I still have my pants _on_ thank you very much."

"You better clean those up before Ichigo sees you."

And right on cue, Ryou managed to catch a glimpse of red peeping over the side of the bed, just as Keiichiro had turned away from him. She was hidden on the other side of the bed, opposite of where the brunet had settled. Her head was inching up second by second, and she stared up at the blond with an amused smirk.

Of all times Keiichiro had decided to be like a parent again. Certainly, there were times when he had acted like one, but those instances were rare and they had occurred when Ryou was much younger. Now that he was old enough to take care of himself, their relationship had evolved into a much more brotherly one.

And in Keiichiro's momentary lapse of insanity to bring such topics up again, Ichigo just _had_ to be there to listen. She was now staring at him with such a self-satisfied smirk on her face that Ryou could feel his usual cold, emotionless barrier falling off. Just lovely. She was right here in this moment of utter embarrassment, as if it wasn't bad enough to have this kind of talk with Keiichiro alone.

"STOP." Ryou said sternly to the smirking redhead, a little louder than he would have liked. He could feel his cheeks warming up.

"Hmm?" Keiichiro muttered mindlessly, as he just began to turn around to face Ryou once again.

"Drop to the floor, _the floor_!"

"Eh?" Keiichiro's eyes met the back of Ryou's head as the blond had been apparently talking to the empty space on the other side. Ichigo had pulled her head under the side of the bed just in time to avoid being seen, but she still wore the amused idiotic smile.

"What are you looking at?" The brunet questioned, pulling his legs onto the bed as he scooted over to take a look over the other side.

"Roll over! NOW!"

At those words, Ichigo who was now snugly wrapped in Ryou's dress shirt, rolled beneath the bed entering the darkness of the space below. Her breathing shallowed in the small crevice below the mattress that Ryou and Keiichiro were now sitting on. Her eyes flared with fury – she wasn't a dog he could just order to roll over! Especially into the dark abyss of the unknown. If the situation wasn't so dire, Ichigo would have never willingly slid under the bed and expose herself to whatever unknown little critters and monstrously leggy bugs could be found there.

She shut her eyes tight, praying that the sudden itch at her skin was just her imagination and not the prickling of 1000 bug legs crawling on her. Sure, she could kick alien butt, but bugs were an entirely different matter. Slowly, she lifted her eyelids all the while ready to scream, but her arm was entirely bare save for the sleeve of Ryou's shirt which she wore.

There weren't any bugs of any sort. There wasn't even a speck of dust. It was surprisingly clean. Maybe Mint wasn't as despicable of a slave-driver to her servants at home as she was to Ichigo at work, because if she was, Ichigo was certain that her house would not be anywhere as spotless as it was now.

"What is going on with you Ryou?" Ichigo could hear Keiichiro's muffled voice from above. "Who were you talking to?"

With the previous string of thoughts completely broken, the redhead's muscles tensed at these words and she held in a breath. Had he seen her? She did manage to catch a glimpse of him before she dropped against the floor when he had first entered, but she couldn't be sure if he had been looking in her direction. Ichigo strained to listen to the conversation taking place above her to clarify, but found herself sinking in the mesmerizing scent of an oversized shirt wrapped around her body.

"I wasn't talking to anyone in particular Keiichiro." The blond plopped back against the bed, folding his arms behind him. He seemed calm and collected once again, even if his cheeks were slightly rosier than usual.

Keiichiro raised an eyebrow at him expectantly. "You never were one to talk to yourself."

He shrugged. "I was watching TV and there was a program about what to do in times of a fire."

"I see."

"Stop, drop and roll. That phrase really is quite catchy if I do say so myself."

"Hmm." Keiichiro gave him a strange look.

"And they even turned it into a song. Did you know that?"

Ichigo inwardly groaned from under the bed. His words had caught her attention. If Ryou had spewed that ridiculous nonsense to her, she wouldn't have bought it, but she had to admit that the deep lull of his voice sounded tantalizing no matter what he said. Clearly, he was trying too hard even if his tone was as calm as ever.

But Keiichiro didn't seem to notice and in the next moment, shifted around in the bed as if settling more comfortably onto it. Ichigo waited.

"Keiichiro, get out."

"You still haven't said anything to her yet?"

Ryou groaned, bringing a hand to his head. "It's none of your concern. I'll handle it."

"Like how you have been for the past three years?" Keiichiro looked at the blond but he managed to catch a glimpse of Ichigo's panties from the corner of his eyes.

Seeing the brunet turn red, Ryou's eyes followed his gaze and landed directly onto the item of interest. He quickly snatched it away, as well as the other undergarments that had been thrown so carelessly onto the bed all the while shooting narrow stares at Keiichiro.

"Pervert." The blond grumbled before gathering them in his arms and walking over towards their luggage. He dropped the items into Ichigo's duffel bag, a little red himself.

Ryou turned to glare at the rosy-cheeked Keiichiro, this time trying to burn a hole through him with his harsh corrosive gaze.

"Ehem…As I was uh…saying."

"Hmm?" The blond crossed his arms, still standing some distance away from the bed. "In any case, I don't see why you're telling me this considering _you're_ her boyfriend now. Not me." The words left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Ahh…so you've heard." Keiichiro's eyes twinkled. "Where…_is_ Ichigo by the way?"

"Keiichiro, it's time to get out." Ryou growled, stomping towards the bed as he harshly grabbed his friend's arm.

"You're being a little rough there Ryou. You couldn't be jealous could you?" Keiichiro asked lightly, not even wincing at the pressure he felt against his elbow. The blond scoffed at Keiichiro's casual tone.

"Why do you even bother to ask?" The threatening rumble in his throat displayed his edginess. "Didn't take you for someone to gloat so shamelessly, _Kei-kun_." He spat the words like poison, painfully reminded that he had lost Ichigo yet again. Yes, she had already been lost. To think that only a few minutes ago, he was ready to claim someone who had already been taken.

Taken by Keiichiro- his friend, brother, father and only family. Ryou had nearly broken that trust for just a girl, granted it was the girl of his dreams, but even so. He wasn't angry at Keiichiro so much as he was at himself. Keiichiro hadn't done anything wrong, he had given him so many chances before and even tried to help him. If anyone was to blame, it was Ryou himself for not taking action earlier.

And only a few minutes ago, Ryou was ready to snatch Ichigo back, not that he ever had her to begin with. As these thoughts ran through Ryou's mind, his fingers loosened their grip from Keiichiro's slightly bruised elbow.

He let his arm hang limp at his side and his head dropped down in disappointment. They were just friends and she was his best friend's girlfriend; he could never let himself lose control like that again. His fingers twitched at the recollection, but he forced the thoughts away.

It was time to admit defeat. As an honorable man, he should do at least that much. His hair poked at his eyes, covering his face as he kept his pained expression to himself. Sighing, he finally spoke, eyes no longer glaring at Keiichiro but rather, focused on the floor. "Not that it matters anymore, but you already know the answer to that."

Keiichiro raised an arm and rested it on Ryou's shoulder before pushing him back onto the bed to sit beside him. He leaned slightly closer, and whispered. "But she doesn't know it."

Ryou's blue eyes shot open in shock as he turned to take a look at his friend. "What are you saying Keiichiro?"

"I'm saying," Keiichiro smiled at him reassuringly. "Treat her nicely."

"Kei…?"

This time, raising his voice beyond the previous whispers, he spoke again. "She wasn't remotely interested in me anyway. She couldn't seem to get past her feelings for someone else. Hmm…though I'm not quite sure. You'd have to ask her who that is yourself."

"Keiichiro…"

The brunet pushed himself off the bed and strolled over towards the door. He clasped the doorknob with his hand, turning it clockwise. "And don't forget Ryou," he opened the door but turned around to send the blond a slight wink. "She's still a minor."

"K-KEIICHIRO!" Ryou grabbed a pillow and threw it in the direction of the door, but the brunet had already left, closing the door behind him with a chuckle.

The blond sat on his bed, shielding his eyes with a hand. He could feel the steam escape from his usually unaffected cheeks. _That_ had almost gotten him as red as that time he was stuck in the bathroom with a certain redhead. Just almost.

Ryou let his fingers run through his hair as he lost himself to thought. As embarrassing as that moment was (definitely rated one of the top three most embarrassing moments of Ryou's life), his mind wandered upon Keiichiro's words. "What did he mean 'she can't get past her feelings for someone else'?"

Was it Aoyama?

"_Eep. Stupid Keiichiro, I can't believe he just said that!"_ A squeak and then a whisper escaped from below the mattress, causing Ryou to jump as he was suddenly forced to remember that Ichigo was still there. He leaned on his stomach against the bed, edging over towards the side.

"Ichigo?" His hand lifted the flap of white cloth that was draped over the crevice and he peeked in.

"R-R-Ryou!" Ichigo suddenly found Ryou's face only inches from her own. The blond immediately turned crimson and pulled himself up just slightly.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Uh…" Ichigo stayed planted beneath the bed, not motioning to get out. At this moment, her face threatened to burn through the floor with its incredible heat. "I…uh…"

"Is it that Aoyama-kun?"

The redhead could not hear it clearly, but she thought he had choked on those words. "What?"

She clambered out of the darkness, finally letting the dim light of the bedroom hit her. Kneeling on the floor, she placed two hands on the corner of the bed and began pulling herself up.

He lay on his side, facing away from her. She could see Ryou's bare chest heaving up and down with heavy breaths as she peeked over the side of the bed with her chin rested on the mattress. Her face threatened to glow bright red once again as she watched the motion of Ryou's exposed torso, but she forced the blush away, gulping at the sudden tension of the room.

He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling as he spoke. "The one you couldn't get over for Keiichiro."

"Get over for Keiichiro?" The redhead wondered, thoroughly confused. What the hell was he talking about?

But then she caught a glimpse of Ryou's melancholy blue eyes. His strained expression of…hurt? She wasn't certain.

"…Are you okay?" It was all she could say.

"Just dandy." He spat, looking away from her. The atmosphere was suffocating and neither spoke for awhile.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. "Oh, before I forget!" In huffed Keiichiro yet again, but he did not finish speaking. His eyes fell upon Ichigo laying her cheek on the side of the bed as she stared at a quiet Ryou intently.

"Keichiiro!" Ryou jolted up. "I thought you left."

"Ichigo." The brunet said casually, with a knowing smile in place. His expression was amused rather than shocked. "Cheating on me so soon?" He teased.

"Kei-kun!" Her head jerked up from its position against the bed. "I…umm…er…" She struggled with her words, knowing full well that Ryou's unbuttoned shirt wrapped loosely against her body revealed more to her friend than she wanted it to.

"It seems that it wasn't necessary after all." He spoke kindly with a reassuring smile, though his eyes hinted of a bit of sadness.

"Keiichiro." Ryou's voice was icy, interrupting the friendly exchange. "Did you want something?"

"Ahh, right. The others are in Mint's room. They're about to start watching a movie. They sent me to get you, but it had slipped my mind when I was here earlier."

At these words, Ichigo looked away.

"No need to be embarrassed Ichigo." She dropped to the floor, hiding her face from view as she knelt beside the bed. "Though I'd never imagine you'd wear such lacy under-"

"KEICHIRO, get OUT!" Ryou screamed. Ichigo heard a cushioned thump against the wooden door, and then a slam, as the brunet finally left. "Damn pervert. Hides it under that gentlemanly disguise."

The redhead allowed herself to peek over the bed again, and caught sight of a fuming blond.

"R-Ryou…you don't have to be so angry. It was my fault for throwing my clothes around."

"You're _defending_ him?" He glared at her. "The same guy who was just drooling over your underwear a few minutes ago? That's hardly fair. I get slapped for peeling away your bra which you _threw _at me, and Keiichiro gets defended for staring at it like the pervert that he is. You sure are biased, _strawberry_."

He leaned on his side away from Ichigo.

"He's not a pervert!" She stood up, eyes raging with defiance.

"He's a man looking at a half naked woman! How can he not be a pervert?" Ryou groaned, utterly exasperated.

His words were met with silence. Ichigo only glared down at the blond, appalled by the fact that he was speaking about the kind chef in this way.

"Men are born perverts, it just takes a hot girl to push them over the edge."

"Oh? So you think I'm hot?" The redhead's rage abated, now replaced by mischievousness. She had a mission she could not forget after all; get Ryou interested, and then make him fall in love with her. A smirk adorned her lips and she slid onto the bed beside him.

"W-what?" The blond replied, not meeting her gaze. "Anyway, we should get changed and meet the others." He motioned to get out of bed, but soon found Ichigo's hand pushing down on his bare chest, forcing him to fall back against the bed.

"Does this mean that I can turn you into a pervert too?" Ichigo cooed seductively, running her hands down his chest. He gulped as he stared up at those determined russet eyes. She trailed her fingers down the slopes of his pecks, tracing them lightly over his abs. A chill was sent down his spine at her simple but suggestive touch. His muscles were tense.

"Ichigo, stop messing with me will you?" Ryou grabbed her wrists and sat up, still keeping his grip against her. His breathing was irregular. He pushed her hands away, keeping a safe distance from touching her body as she sat a few inches from him. "Besides," he seethed into her ears, leaning forward. "You have yet to get over that twit Aoyama right?"

"First it's Keiichiro and then Aoyama? What are you talking about?" She pouted, pulling her hands away from him.

"You called him Aoyama, not Masaya."

"Why wouldn't I? It's not like he has anything to do with me anymore." She crossed her arms and turned away from Ryou. After breathing a sigh, she spoke. "Apparently your whole theory about perverts is completely wrong. _You _at least don't seem the least bit affected."

_On the contraire, you silly little redhead_. Ryou didn't have to be turned into a pervert, he already _was_ one. After hearing Ichigo's disregard for the supposed love of her life, his inhibitions were suddenly stripped away – allowing those dirty thoughts that he had kept in check to run wild in his head. His muscles twitched to have another touch at her warm body and his fingers itched to run through the surface of her skin.

"Let me show you how it's done." The husky rumble of his voice permeated through her body, causing her to involuntarily shiver at the sound. Ryou wrapped an arm around Ichigo's bare waist, slipping it under the shirt. He pulled her down with him as he fell hard against the bed. "You've got to use more of that sex appeal of yours." He lulled, licking her ear with the tip of his tongue. She lay above him, arms pressed against his toned body and her fingertip mildly brushed against a small nub.

"R-R-Ryou!" She squeaked, heart thumping against her chest. She could feel the heaving of his chest - its movement was heavy and irregular.

"_Ichigo_" He said her name breathlessly into her ear.

"Eep!" Her cat ears popped in place and her tail lashed about wildly behind her, slapping against Ryou's leg.

"Hm…excited I see." He hugged her closer, stripping off the loose shirt with his other hand. His eyes were glazed with a hungry look and it bore through Ichigo with such intensity that she thought she would burst with the need to kiss the living breath out of him.

"I-I-I…" She stuttered before finally giving up. "Ahh." She gasped in surprise. Ryou held her tightly, rolling them over on their sides. He inched towards her face, lips moist with desire as he stared at her with eyes half open.

Ichigo released a breath she had been holding, now relaxing her tense arms slightly as she gave in to his lustful gaze. Her body moved on its own, her arms explored almost every inch of his torso, sliding, slipping, trailing wherever her curious fingers could touch. Her hands drank in the touch of his hidden curves and arches that had been unknown to her before.

He responded with equal vigor, hands making their own journey all over her body. All the while, he kept his unflinching gaze on her. His usual calm eyes, as crisp blue as they were, flared with a long kept passion. She felt herself sinking into his gaze. Those eyes, no matter what emotions they showed – sadness, happiness, concern, and now hunger – were absolutely captivating.

"Ryou…" she said before he finally closed the gap between their lips, locking her soft ones against his. He licked the bottom of her lip, begging for entry and after giving him a small bite, she parted it easily giving in. Their bodies pressed together and their tongues fought a silent struggle in their mouths for dominance. The muscles clashed, brushing through the caverns of their mouths, pushing forward. In the end, Ryou won. His tongue danced across her unexplored cavern hungrily.

Her mind went blank, her pulse raced and all the blood rushed to her red cheeks. Her legs moved of their own accord; one wrapping around his hips as the other pressed a knee against his pelvis. She was running out of breath but she didn't want to part. The feel of his playful tongue teasing her brought forth a burst of warm sensation from her abdomen and it spread through the rest of her body.

Finally, they parted for air, both breathing heavily.

"Hmm…strawberry." He said with a smirk though his face was flustered.

"Oh _God_." She cried, wanting more of the incredible kiss. A little edgy from his teasing, she pressed her knee against him further still. She pinned him down, keeping his wrists locked under her hands above his head.

"Ichi_go..." _He moaned as she slid her knee up and down against his thigh. Giving a low growl, he rolled her over and kept himself propped up above the panting girl who lay on her back.

Ryou pressed himself into her, crushing her hips at the impact. He lowered himself, closing the distance between their upper bodies and suddenly dug his head in the curve of her neck, inhaling her scent. He gave her a series of light butterfly kisses across her neck and the upper portion of her chest that lay exposed. Rubbing his hand against her stomach, he returned to her vulnerable neck with a low purr and kissed it more roughly.

"_Ryou_…" She breathed out, wrapping a leg around his hips to pull him even more closely. She could feel him stiff against her, clearly aroused. Her hand found its way in his hair and she gripped it as he ravaged her neck, sucking kissing and biting with all the pent of frustration of three years worth of wait.

"Ahh…" The redhead groaned. He grunted as his hands were now playing with the zipper on the side of her skirt.

"_Ichigo_," her name rolled off his tongue seductively as if it was made to be said by just him in exactly that way.

"_Hmm_…?" She could only manage to utter between heavy breaths.

"Don't you…" He panted, finally unzipping her skirt. "…EVER forget." Then resumed trailing his tongue over her exposed neck. A glint of light reflected from his teeth as he drew back. "That you…" Finally, he dug in, nipping her neck and immediately sucking at it after the bite.

"Ahh." She gasped, mouth half parted. Her eyelids were barely open and her lashes fluttered uncontrollably as she fought to keep her consciousness.

"You're _mine._" He propped himself up to face the girl, still panting as he tried to catch his breath. "And I don't..." he huffed, "...share." Ichigo stared at him wide-eyed, breathing heavily herself. "R-Ryou!" Her eyebrows were scrunched together and her expression caused his heart to skip a beat – in nervousness, anxiety, anticipation or…happiness? He didn't know.

She forcefully pulled him down, until their bodies were completely touching. With her nearly bare chest against his, she could feel his heart beat as viciously as her own. And for some odd reason, the thumps against their bodies were in complete unison. Ichigo thrust him against the bed, settling on top of him.

He seemed confused but she simply kicked off the skirt that had already been loosened by his hands in response and straddled him, pressing herself against him hard.

"I…chigo?" His eyes went wide before she once again closed the distance, planting her body on top of his. Her lips were met with his thirsty half parted ones and they danced deftly against each other.

Ryou groaned into her mouth as her hand followed the sandy trail of light blond hair down his abs, below his belly button, and further down. Her fingers managed to glide underneath the very top of his pants and she earned another moan from him.

"Keep _going_…" His eyes were closed, his mouth was half parted for small gasps of air. The way his voice rumbled through her body sent an electric sensation through her and her heart beat so fast, it threatened to leap straight out of her chest.

"_Ryou"_ She said breathlessly, pressing her fingers down as she let it slide ever so slowly into his pants. "I _want_ you."

"_Ichigo_ I want you _so_ badly right now." He growled, letting a warm moist breath of air land on her skin. He cupped her butt, giving it a hard squeeze. "_Ah."_

She gasped and brought a hand against his, letting it slip under her panties and allowing the first man ever to have access to her naked behind. His hand seemed uncertain, not moving from its position.

"Are you sure this is okay?" He asked, but his expression was somewhat hopeless.

"I…wouldn't want it to be anyone else." She replied, turning crimson.

"Don't worry" He heaved, pulse racing and pants threatening to tear apart. "I'll treat you _real_ nice." He pulled her down against him, hands rested against her hips still pressing her downward as he arched up for her to catch his meaning. She turned darker red, cat tail lapping behind her furiously. His hands moved up against her back and he pulled her into a hug. Rolling around on the bed and finally landing on top of her, Ryou knelt up, with the girl between his legs. His hands were on either side of her head, and he growled a ferocious growl that sent shivers down her spine.

He stared at her nearly exposed body, before his eyes glazed over. Her hands found their way in the soft tresses of his golden hair, gripping it a little too tightly. His lips were upon her skin, teasing her with gentle kisses before he slowly let the tip of his tongue trail down between her breasts. "Ahh..." A light moan escaped her mouth as she fought off the urge to cry in utter ecstasy. The warm, wet muscle stopped at the top of the pink cloth.

"Keep _going_." She whimpered, relishing every sensation throughout her body - from his tongue against her skin to his hands that were now rubbing up and down her stomach with just the right amount of pressure. He led his hand down her belly, downward toward her abdomen until his fingertips brushed against the top of her panties. She mewed in anticipation and frustration, waiting. But each time it would stop there and he would slowly trail his hand back up, constantly taunting her. "R-Ryou..." Her voice was soft, delicate and pleading as his fingers once again played with the lace at the top of her underwear.

He sucked against her skin working around the straps of pink, causing soft incoherent mutters to escape from her lips. Steadily, his hand reached for her collarbone and slowly slid outward, brushing away a strap from her shoulder...

She winced slightly and he stopped.

"No…keep going Ryou." She murmured. He looked uncertain, but as soon as Ichigo placed her hands against the bulge of his pants, the hungry shimmer in his eyes returned. She rubbed it gently at first, before applying more pressure, giving out a small gasp as she touched him there. Even through the cloth, she could feel his reaction.

"Ohh…" He moaned, lacing his fingers into her hair. He pressed himself into her hands, completely forgetting about stripping off the pink bra. One of her hands struggled to undo the button of his pants while the other hand continued to play at the center of his trousers. "Stop _teasing_ me Ichigo." He growled, grabbing onto her wrist as he led it into his pants.

"_Keep going_" He snarled. Her fingers pressed against him, itching to delve deeper but held back with uncertainty. "Ichi_go…"_ He breathed out. Her fingers slipped in slowly, gradually. "_Deeper_…" He pleaded in a tone dripping with desire. Her hand paused where it was and she took a deep breath to calm her thumping heart. "_Deeper_" He growled, now taking a hold of her wrist as he pushed her hands in. When she began to slide her hand against him even further, he released her wrist.

"_Ahh_…" He moaned. "Don't…" His breathy tone caused a new wave of lust to hit her. "…be afraid." It was just enough for her to keep her fingers pressing closer to the firm evidence of his full arousal.

"RYOU?!" came a voice from beyond the the door.

"I'M BUSY!"

"Keiichiro?!" Ichigo squeaked, immediately pulling away her hand. Ryou grabbed onto it, staring straight at her. His eyes were pleading and his pants shifted ever so slightly.

"I forgot to tell you something."

"GO AWAY." He finally released her hand, grunting slightly in annoyance.

"Well, just make sure you cover those marks before you see the others."

"Marks?" Ichigo jumped up and crawled from beneath Ryou, sliding her legs from under him as she clambered quickly out of the bed.

"GO TO HELL KEIICHIRO!"

"What's wrong Ryou? Do you need me to come in?"

At the brunet's words, Ichigo quickly grabbed a set of clothes and dashed into the bathroom, red as a tomato.

"YOU BASTARD!" He groaned, flopping himself against the bed. "GO AWAY!"

"One more thing Ryou."

"What _is_ it?" Ryou pulled the bed cover over himself, in case Keiichiro decided to ignore his words once again. "Damn bastard…" he muttered into the pillow, nearly sobbing.

"Don't do anything to Ichigo."

"Like I would!" He lied through his teeth.

"She's still a minor! And you will have hell to pay with Mint around…"

"Tch. What the hell makes you think anything would happen?" Ryou screamed, utterly frustrated. He lulled away his excitement, trying to dull it down. But upon breathing in, Ichigo's intoxicating scent filled his nostrils. It was all over the bed, pillows and covers. "ARGH!"

"Um…Ryou, I'm serious. Don't touch her."

How absolutely ridiculous. Hearing this from Keiichiro? Ryou was sure that it wouldn't be so easy for the brunet if he was in his position. "What the hell are you talking about? We're not even together."

"Yeah, yeah yeah."

Ryou finally heard Keiichiro's footsteps fading. "Damn bastard. He has the worst timing." The blond sighed, settling back onto the bed as he forced his mind to settle on thoughts of ugly women. It was challenging to say the least and after all the times Ichigo's scent against the pillow caused images of a very sexy redhead to appear in his head, Ryou finally dragged himself off the bed and settled on a chair a little further off.

"It's a good thing I packed away all her lingerie…" He sighed, slipping on the dress shirt that had been stripped off of Ichi-

"Damnit." He roughly pulled the shirt off and went to his bag for a new one, struggling with his steps. "Marks huh?" His hand brushed along the right side of his neck – where Ichigo had bitten him. A smile crept on his lips as he searched for a collared shirt and the usual red choker that he had not worn today. His thoughts wandered onto the bruise he had left on Ichigo's neck. He belonged to her, just as much as she did to him.

--

Meanwhile, in the confines of a warmly lit bathroom, Ichigo stared at the mirror wide-eyed, silent and frozen.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!" Her eyes followed the series of dull red marks along her chest, stomach and the worst of them, at her neck. "I can't believe I just…Oh. My. God." She twisted the faucet all the way up, still staring at her reflection as the harsh pressure of icy cold water beat against the sink.

"I…I almost touched _it!_" She shrieked, now dunking her head into the sink. "I c-can't b-believe I almost did that!" Her screams turned into gurgles in the water. Finally out of breath, she pulled her head out.

"W-What have I d-done?" Her reflection stared back, frightened, anxious and confused. "Things are going to be so awkward!" She looked absolutely crazy and wild with the way her wet hair was plastered to her head. But then her eyes fell upon a teeth mark on her neck and his words filled her mind.

"_You're _mine_. And I don't share_." She smiled. Her hand traced the mark lightly. "Either way, that was fun."

She gasped suddenly, cupping a hand against her mouth. "I…_didn't_ just say that." Groaning, she splashed a handful of cold water against her neck, trying to cool the burning sensation. "Honestly. Where on Earth is my self control? Three years with Aoyama and not once did anything like this happen." She closed the faucet.

Her face was completely flushed as she replayed the scene in her head; how she had nearly touched him in his most vulnerable area, a secret place, and how he had slipped his fingers just beneath her panties, slowly bringing his hand downward to her center but never reaching. Her blush darkened at the thought. Almost. So many things had _almost_ happened and they had only been stopped just in time. Neither of them had actually gotten that far.

It was getting awfully hot.

Stripping out of her undergarments, she headed for the shower. Ichigo let the cold water run against her body, but memories of the intense moment she shared with Ryou kept her unusually warm. Her face burned despite the icy pellets of liquid against her cheeks. All in a single day, and somehow her boss had managed to touch her in places no one else ever had. Even that kiss…never had she shared anything more than a soft meeting of lips with Aoyama.

Yes, it was a hot, maybe a little rough and very much a lustful encounter. But it was sweet in its own way. It represented absolute trust; she had let him explore what no one else had touched before and he, he too had given her access to secret places ventured by no other. It almost felt like their games all over again - the ones they had shared only between themselves and hid from the Mews. It was a secret shared only between her and Ryou and this single observation alone made her smile.

That is, until she finally caught on to what she was thinking. She groaned, pressing her palms against the wall as she kept her head down. No, she couldn't allow herself to think of the experience fondly. It was dirty, vile, crude. Thinking of such an encounter pleasantly was the same as making excuses for her actions, convincing herself that it was okay to give in which she wasn't remotely trying to do.

It was Ryou. It was all his fault. Even these pleasant thoughts now, it was Ryou's fault. It obviously couldn't be her fault since she had been so good around Masaya. So she drew the only conclusion she thought was logical – Ryou, it was Ryou who had no control. And it was his fault she found marks all over her body.

But she hadn't done anything to stop it.

"Oh shut up you." The redhead snarled.

In fact, she had been the one to push him to keep going. Truth be told, she was just a tad bit curious to feel Ry-

"I said SHUT UP!" She cried, fisting the wall, fully understanding that Ryou would have stopped at any time if she wanted him to. She enjoyed arousing him, that much was true - but it wasn't supposed to get so far, even if she did lov-like him. Not when she wasn't sure what his feelings for her were. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? How can I even face him?"

Little did she know that Ryou had heard every word of her worries, even the ones she thought she had kept to herself but had actually spoken out loud. He was settled on the same seat, now dressed in a white collared vest with a two blue lines running down and across it. Ichigo's troubled screams caused a large grin to appear on his dazed face.

All this trouble, all these concerns, _just for him._ It wasn't Aoyama that left her absolutely breathless and curious about things she had once considered dirty. It hadn't been Aoyama that had clouded Ichigo's mind, it was Ryou. And this little observation made the blond too happy to even bother wiping off the idiotic smile on his lips.

And he swore, he just heard the girl almost say that she loved him, before she caught herself. His smile widened, threatening to split apart his face.

But she was clearly scared out of her wits, so even if she did harbor feelings for him, it would take awhile for her to settle them. Ryou contemplated the situation, still smiling like mad.

"Slow and steady." He sighed. He just had to make her realize her feelings without scaring her. Honestly, his patience was running dry, but he had already waited three years, surely he could handle not leaping onto her the next time he saw her. His love for her was greater than his lust and he wasn't going to let his damn hormones mess things up. He was going to win her over no matter how long it took. After all, he had already claimed her.

Ryou knelt against his bag, and reached in. A few seconds later, he pulled out a brown paper bag. Something within it jingled and it made him smile. Finding a small notepad and pen nearby, he scribbled a short note. He reached for his blue toothbrush and dropped it into the bag, along with the note. Finally, he placed the bag onto the bed and headed for the door.

He was about to speak, but could not trust his voice so instead, he simply walked out of the room without a word, hoping that his strawberry would find the little paper bag he had left for her.

* * *

About this chapter:

Did you notice how Ryou got all protective with Ichigo when Keiichiro started blushing at her underwear? I thought that was so cutee. And! He even cleaned up after her...

And yeah, the whole Keiichiro being perverted may seem out of character, but I tried to do it in the most convincing way possible. (He _is_ a man after all, he's not sexless without male hormones.) Also, the entire embarassing scene with Ryou and Keiichiro - even though it's out of character of them, logically, something of that sort had to have happened since Ryou _was_ brought up by Keiichiro. It just seems out of character because the anime would never get into something like that :P

For the most part, I try to keep my characters in character. So I had to explain myself if it had seemed like a bit of a stretch.

-+-+-+-+-+-

For your info:

:X That must've been beyond a T rating or at least at the upper end of the T rating. I really don't want to change the rating though because then a lot of people can't read it, so I dulled it down a bit (this chapter going to be a lot worse). Honestly though, the other chapters may have been intense but they were within T rating (except for maybe the last one.) If you noticed, most of the touching before that were in areas usually exposed by clothes (arms, legs, neck, face) or at their backs and stomach. And they weren't anywhere as naked as they were in ch23 and ch24.

Anyway...so far I've gotten fewer than 15 people who want a lemon, but there were a couple who wouldn't mind it or requested one. So most likely, I'll do a separate one shot lemon as a followup for this story if people are interested. I had meant for this story to be super sweet and fluffy but somewhere along the way it took a drastic turn. Of course, I intend to include fluffy moments in this story still. After all, a real relationship is a mix of everything and it is something I hope to portray. Too bad it would be inappropriate for a younger audience.

(In that case, maybe I should start another fanfic with Ichigo and Ryou after this at younger ages that is sweet and fluffy like cotton candy but much less physical.)


	25. Possessed

**Unspoken Words**

Finally, an update! Sorry for the wait guys. It was a little hard to get back into it, but I hope you enjoy the read. I may end up revising this chapter later on (just a bit to improve it but I figured you'd probably want to read the chapter now).

10+ reviews until the next update. Just to let you know, I finish ALL my stories. Granted, it may take some time but I will _always_ finish a story I start. So you don't have to worry about one being discontinued or anything. The other thing is, I'll try to update at least one chapter every 1.5 weeks. Of course, I may update more frequently than that, but I'll try to do at least that much.

This story will probably exceed 30 chapters...maybe past 35 o.o

But at this point, it depends whether the readers want it to be that long.

* * *

Last time, on chapter 24:

After overhearing a very embarrassing conversation between Ryou and Keiichiro from underneath the mattress, Ichigo finally comes out of her hiding place once the brunet leaves. Keiichiro had just encouraged Ryou to win over Ichigo. When Ryou asks about Keiichiro, he simply tells the blond that Ichigo had feelings for someone else and that it was impossible between himself and the girl. Ryou wonders who it could be out loud and asks Ichigo if it is Aoyama, her ex-boyfriend.Of course, being entirely confused Ichigo dismisses the question entirely, asking Ryou what is wrong with him.

The atmosphere is tense but then Keiichiro reappears suddenly, swinging the door wide open and catches Ichigo before awkwardly leaving again.

When the blond realizes that the redhead had just called her ex by his last name instead of his first as she used to do (indicating that she no longer regarded him in the same way), Ryou's inhibitions disappear.

While Ichigo had attempted to seduce Ryou just enough to get some sort of reaction, he had been too angry with the thought of the redhead still pining over Aoyama and Ichigo retreated slightly, thinking it hadn't worked. But as soon as Ryou realizes her words, he pounces on her and initiates a heated encounter that leaves them breathless and panting when Keiichiro's voice is suddenly heard through the door. He reminds Ryou about the marks he had happened to see on his neck the last time the brunet had stepped in and found Ichigo leaning against the side of the bed.

Immediately, Ichigo dashes into the bathroom and Ryou curses at his supposed bestfriend for the interruption. The two reflect on what had just happened. Ryou slips a note and toothbrush into a paper bag he takes out from his luggage and leaves it for Ichigo on the bed. Then, without another word, he walks out of the room to meet up with the rest of the gang first.

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 25: Possessed  
**

"Well, here goes." Ichigo's hand rested on the doorknob. Having just followed a series of giant arrows taped against the walls of Mint's mansion, she now arrived at her destination after weaving through the convoluted maze like path. Her chest felt unusually heavy and her pulse quickened as she slowly twisted the doorknob clockwise. Her mind refused to stop replaying the embarrassing and heated encounter with her boss.

"Calm down, Ichigo. It's was…nothing." And even though she said it out loud, she still had a difficult time convincing herself. Her hand still grasped the metal tightly though she had long forgotten about it.

She shook her head violently, trying to rid herself of the stirring utters of a panting Ryou who had trapped her beneath him. Well, it wasn't exactly as though she wanted to leave…

"Arg. Stop that Ichigo!" She groaned, cheeks now flaring. She had to focus on something else soon before her cat features appeared. "I can't believe he didn't even wait for me!" She screamed, hoping that her red cheeks displayed her anger rather than accepting why they were actually so crimson.

But honestly, she had no idea what she would have done if she had to face him immediately after…_that_. "Damn it! Why does he do this to me?!" Ichigo dropped her head, tempted to knock it into the door repeatedly. It really was beyond her understanding how he could do all those things out of nowhere. True, she had attempted to use some of that long hidden sex appeal on him but that was just to drive him far enough to get him interested. It wasn't like she actually wanted it to get to that point…right?

…But, she really didn't mind being touched like that by _his _hands, or hearing him call her name so breathlessly.

"Oh my god. When did I turn so perverted?" She groaned, now releasing the poor doorknob from her iron-tight grip. Why did everything seem to spiral out of control in just a single day spent with a certain smug blond? Why was it that in just the past few hours, she found herself falling so deeply for a man she once despised, turning into putty at his exhilarating touch?

Ryou had only been her boss and the leader behind the Mew Project. Hadn't she ever only regarded him in that way?

She raised her hands against her throbbing temples. No, it was never just that simple. He was most definitely a friend and she had never really hated him. Their charade of hate and their constant bickering were just fun and games. She had known even that much then, even if neither of them ever said it out loud. Ichigo had always secretly enjoyed the yelling and teasing; she had always enjoyed accidentally walking in on Ryou after his showers with nothing but a towel on. But of course, it was something she could never let anyone know.

Ichigo had always been attracted to Ryou, even if she pretended to despise him. Or maybe she had pretended to specifically for that reason. Who could blame her for it? Ryou leaked of sex appeal no matter how cold he seemed to act. He had a natural charm about him that was hard to ignore even if one tried. And boy, did Ichigo try to ignore it.

But now, after all that had happened, it truly was impossible to simply 'ignore.' Just thinking about his thrilling touch made her skin tingle. The thought of it sent a hot sensation running through her body as if she had a fever. Remembering their little tryst made her mouth go dry and caused her breath to hitch at her throat. And all of this was Ryou's fault. Without him even being present, he could make her lose complete control over her own body.

"YARGH!" The redhead screamed, trying to fight the emergence of her cat features as she still stood in front of the closed door. She was quite unaware of the fact that her friends inside the room had jumped at the sudden sound.

The wooden door soon swung open, revealing a half crazed Ichigo with her fingers weaved tightly through her hair at the entrance. An audience of three mews and two café owners were seated in front of the wall paneled with an enormous LCD screen, but their entire attention was focused silently on the girl, with their mouths gaping shamelessly wide open.

"Finally Ichigo-neesan!" Before the redhead could even register what had happened, she found a very energetic monkey-girl's limbs intertwined against her body.

"Pudding! I c-can't breathe!" Ichigo choked under Pudding's grip, barely noticing the others in the room. The young girl climbed up further, arms wrapped around her neck and legs around her waist. She tilted her head slightly and peered at the skin beneath her arms.

"Onee-san…what happened to your neck na no da?"

**POP!** Enter steaming cheeked cat girl Ichigo. Pudding had tipped the fine balance of her internal resistance with a single question.

"…" The redhead could only stare wide-eyed in horror at the narrowed glances that darted between herself and Ryou. The blond looked equally appalled when his gaze fell upon her exposed neck. Ichigo tried to speak but her mouth would only open just enough for her to realize that she could not find her voice.

Silence. Absolute silence.

She opened her mouth to speak again, eyes now a little too focused on the carpeted floor.

"…" And again, no sound came out.

Finally, a voice broke through the awkward silence that had seemed to last a lifetime.

"Hmm?" Zakuro inquired suggestively as she shot a glance at Ryou. Ichigo stirred at her voice, looking up just in time to catch Ryou turn away from the amused idol.

"Tch, are we watching the movie or what?" Ryou was sitting casually on a chair to the right of the couch. He had one foot against the chair with his arms wrapped around it and leaned into his knee as if he was quite bored.

"Y-y-yes, l-let's do that." Lettuce nervously responded with a strained expression.

"So Ichigo-neesan, what happened? Was it an alien attack na no da?" Pudding chirped still clinging onto Ichigo's tense body.

"Not exactly." Keiichiro mumbled quietly as he sunk his head into his hand. He was sitting on a chair at the other side of the couch and had a direct view of the gulping blond who sat across from him. Silently, he sent a stare at Ryou, relaying a message he hoped the blond could receive telepathically: _I warned you earlier._

"What? Why is everyone acting so weird na no da?" Pudding clambered down from Ichigo and planted her hands against her hips as she sent questioning looks at her coworkers and boss.

"P-P-Pudding!" Ichigo groaned, dropping her head so that she could hide her neck.

"So Ichigo…"

The redhead turned around to face the speaker, feeling a dark sense of foreboding hitting her stomach as she did so. "Mint…it's your creepy smile again."

The Lorikeet waved away her words, seeming to have regained control over herself in the past hour Ichigo and Ryou had supposedly spent 'unpacking.'

"So tell me, what took you guys so long?"

"I'm sure everyone's waiting to watch the movie Mint." Ryou coughed. "Baka, stop gaping and come in already." Though he was seated with his back to the door, Ichigo's expression was certainly not too difficult to guess.

"R-right." Ichigo quickly found her way to the far end of the couch next to Zakuro, deliberately keeping her distance from a certain blond but was interrupted. Mint gripped her arm in a rough pinch around the redhead's elbows and pulled her up. Carefully, she sat on the seat previously occupied by Ichigo and gently nudged her with her hips to scoot over towards the other end of the couch next to Ryou.

"Care to explain those marks?" Though her voice was collected, a hint of pink crept through Mint's cheeks.

All the oxygen seemed to have been sucked out of the room and Ichigo found it incredibly difficult to respond with Mint, Zakuro and even Keiichiro (yes, _Keiichiro_- though he may have been the only one to try and hide it) grinning in amusement. Lettuce was settled in front of the TV, kneeling against the carpeted floor with glowing red cheeks while Pudding made her rounds studying the faces of those in the room, still very much confused over their reactions. At the very least, the intense grilling Ichigo received from the others made her forget about her nervousness around Ryou.

Again, awkward silence blanketed the once boisterous room which only a few minutes ago, prior to the arrival of both Ryou and Ichigo, had been filled with sounds of strategic planning to get the pair together, not much different than a general preparing for battle in the amount of ardor each member had contributed with.

"Ah, I'm sure it's nothing interesting. Probably some more baka strawberry gracefulness." Ryou tapped his foot against the ground in annoyance. "Now can we move along?"

"I'm not a BAKA, _you_ idiot! Psh, who was responsible for these marks, eh?" Ichigo stomped up, jabbing a finger at the blond. How dare he even call her an idiot in this situation? Didn't he know that it was a very fragile matter that with a simple slip of the tongue could cause the truth of their unchaste embraces to come spilling out into the open?

What annoyed her most of all was his same collected composure after _everything_ that had happened between them. He seemed utterly unaffected by that same scene that caused a whirl of tumultuous emotions in Ichigo. During her entire wearisome walk here, she had been racking her brain over her undeniable attraction for the blond and their all too forward _touching_ that left her so unbelievably nervous and embarrassed that she didn't even have the time to consider the implications of it all. (Though Ichigo wasn't one to think much ahead to begin with.)

How was it that the first man whose hands she allowed to roam her once untouched body could be so disgustingly _calm_ about it? Why wasn't he the least bit affected by something that had caused her so much confusion?

"Baka." His voice was quiet and almost kind. Ichigo pulled her slightly blurred gaze from the floor, a little surprised by the tears that were beginning to form and met his eyes. Those blue eyes that had only seemed to appear icy cold and void of emotion before she had gotten to know Ryou, were now an incandescent cerulean, boring through her entire being. She shivered involuntarily to ease away the sudden stiffness she felt in her muscles.

When he rolled those eyes at her, she finally realized. Not to mention a threatening growl from Mint brought Ichigo to her senses to understand exactly what she had inadvertently admitted.

"_I'll have your head Shirogane…"_ Mint seethed, sending an eerie chill down the blond's spine.

"Uh, I mean…" Ichigo plopped back down to her seat, slightly panicking for Ryou's safety as she clasped her hands against Mint's. "I sorta…walked into a bush of poison ivy."

"Tch. Typical baka." The blond's expression was as arrogant as ever, but the redhead gave the slightest nod in understanding – a nod easily missed by everyone else, but not to the smirking Ryou.

"Ehehehe…" Ichigo brought a hand awkwardly to her head, continuing the act with him and was pleasantly reminded of their teamwork against Mint earlier that day. It was Ichigo and Ryou again, back with their secret alliance against all the others – an unbeatable pair. It took the redhead an immense effort not to smile moronically as she spoke. "I guess so…"

"I mean," She immediately spoke up again when she read Mint's unconvinced glare. "I'm NOT a baka! I even remembered to wear gloves and long pants."

"What were you even doing around poison ivy Ichigo?" Mint asked, less suspicious now that the old screaming Ichigo was back.

"There…was a class trip to some forest. For ecology? They even gave us masks and everything."

There was a low groan in the background coming from Keiichiro. The story seemed almost credible if it hadn't sounded so ridiculous and uncertain from the redhead.

"Oh!" Mint released a breath of relief as Keiichiro stared at her in disbelief. The sinister glare previously directed at Ryou from the Lorikeet was now gone.

"That makes perfect sense na no da!"

Zakuro watched on silently with a smirk. Keiichiro and Ryou released their own sighs and Ichigo's shoulders soon slackened as she slumped into the couch. Their relief of course, was over that fact that Mint had given up on the idea of killing or otherwise torturing an innocent (well, maybe not entirely so) blond.

"Yes, this…one w-will do." Lettuce's hands fumbled through the DVDs that lay across the floor. After a series of cracking sounds and the soft crash of plastic against plastic, the girl triumphantly raised a rectangular object for all to see. Her rosy visage betrayed her attempt to look calm as she held the DVD case between her fingertips. It seemed as if Lettuce was the only one who hadn't gotten over the awkward conversation, not that she had been or ever would take part in it mind you.

"W-WHAT? We can't watch th-th-that!" Ichigo shrieked, immediately jolting from her seat.

"What's wrong with this?" Lettuce turned the DVD cover at an angle to get a better look before her pallid face and broadened eyes caused a light chuckle to escape from Ryou.

"The Ring 2?" A smirk played across his face. "Why, I didn't know you liked horror movies Lettuce."

"Lettuce! I h-hate scary movies!" Ichigo cried in opposition. The green haired girl seemed dazed. Still very pale, she only pointed to the covers of all the other movies she had just flipped over. The redhead peeked over her shoulders.

"Hey, these are _all_ scary movies!" Ichigo turned to question Mint, feeling as numb if not more numb than Lettuce at the moment.

"Damn it." Mint groaned. "Out of all the ones you had to choose Lettuce…"

"Mint, you had instructed us to contribute by bringing over a scary movie of our choice. It's only fair that one is randomly chosen to be watched." Keiichiro stated, trying to prevent Mint and Ichigo from snatching the movie from Lettuce's hand and chucking it out the window.

"Figures you would defend it, since this movie was _your_ choice."

"Well, we can always go with watching the prequel." Zakuro offered, now holding up another movie.

"Akasaka-san, I said one movie per person!" Mint groaned.

"This one was mine." The idol replied with a smirk. Keiichiro's eyes seemed to light up with a new found respect for Zakuro as he sent her a silent nod of approval.

"Finee…" The Lorikeet said, finally defeated. "Why couldn't we have watched something like 'Darkness Falls' instead? I'm sure Ichigo still would have jumped out of her seat."

"That's not scary na no da!" Pudding chirped proudly.

"W-wait what? Me? Why me?"

"Oh hush Ichigo. All these scary movies are for your sake anyway." Mint huffed with her arms crossed, just a little bit annoyed that her dear idol had taken enough interest in the redhead's welfare to offer such an idea.

"You can thank me later" Zakuro whispered to Ryou as she passed by him with the movie in hand.

"Ichigo," Lettuce said a little softly. "You might want to sit on the floor for this. It's better to be on lower ground so you don't fall off…just in case you can't handle it."

"Hahaha! It can't be that bad na no da!" Pudding chirped. "And why isn't Mint-neesan sitting on the floor then?"

"As if I'd let my bottom touch the floor." She replied with a scoff.

"Oh come on, for the sake of the sleepover!" Ichigo whined, already settled snugly at the bottom of the couch. Though honestly, she just needed someone nearby to cling on to and she wasn't too comfortable with gripping onto Ryou who had touched her and allowed her to touch him in an indecent way.

"It may be fun." Zakuro mused. And with that, Mint ordered everyone to sit on the floor lest they wanted to be kicked out of the sleepover. Her command was met with little resistance though as Mint was the only one who had really minded to begin with. Considering there was a gigantic flat screen LCD plastered against the entire wall of the entertainment center, the others didn't find much to complain about.

"Alright, Operation Strawberry Milkshake commence!" Mint announced, clicking the play button on the remote.

"Eh?"

"That's to get you and Bossm- "

"Pudding!" Lettuce cried, cupping a hand over the young girl.

"Don't mind them Ichigo." Zakuro spoke. "Just make sure you sit next to Shirogane-san."

"EH?! Is it just me or is _everyone_ in on this?" The redhead cried suspiciously, only remembering too well of her own diabolical plans earlier that day against her best friend. An unsettled feeling crept into the pit of her stomach.

"SHH. It's starting!" Mint planted her too-good-for-the-floor-behind on, you guessed it, the floor. She sat next to Ichigo, making sure that she would be there to nudge her towards a certain blond if need be.

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"OH. My. GOD." Mint whimpered, bringing the blanket close against her face.

"Don't wake up, don't wake up!"

_The woman carried the sleeping child from the couch and walked purposefully toward the bathroom. She wore a solemn expression. The drugged sandwich lay on the plate half eaten. The tap of her steps were soft._

_Tap. Tap. Tap. They inched ever closer._

_The child's hand seemed to move._

"EEeek, she's up, she's up!"

The room was filled with stifled whimpers. The girls watched on holding their breaths and muttered silent prayers.

"Don't do it. Don't do it!"

_She gently cradled the sleeping child in her arms and lowered the body to a tub full of water._

"You idiot! Why don't you listen!" Ichigo screamed, nails now digging into Mint's arm.

"Don't DO IT! It'll come OUT!"

"NOOO! Step away from the bathtub woman!"

_The child's eyes shot open._

"AHHHH!" The girls screamed in unison.

_He gurgled on the water but the woman held still with two hands forcing his head down. Finally, she released him when he stopped struggling. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned around._

"ARE you STUPID?! GET AWAY FROM THERE!"

"AHH!" The screams and complaints were met with half sobs from a cowering Pudding.

_The woman was deaf to the desperate screams of the girls. Her back faced away from the bathtub, but she stood dangerously close to it._

"Did…she get it?" Pudding squeaked, eyes now tightly shut.

_A phantom, a dark looming figure who had no face – only a mass of messy soggy dark hair like black blood flowing from the top of her head rose from behind and…_

"AHH!"

"AHHHHHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHH!"

The girls quickly turned away from the screen, still screaming. Pudding and Lettuce hid under the blankets. Mint hugged her knees, head down. Ichigo had been at some point, shoved harshly away from Mint who could no longer feel her arm and now graced Ryou with the same lack of sensation. Keiichiro and Zakuro on the other hand were smiling at the suspense, not the least bit unnerved, as they wore strangely entertained and pleased expressions, muttering something about it being the best part.

The pair adjusted their gazes around the room and began to grin even wider than before.

Lettuce, Mint and Pudding followed the direction of their gaze, each holding their breath as their heads jerked up except for Ichigo, who continued to clasp her arms tightly around Ryou and dig her head into his shoulder. At this point, all thoughts of embarrassment escaped her mind and were instead replaced with fear. Pure fear.

The three mews stared, eyes wide at Ichigo and Ryou, though not for the reason you may think. Ryou's expression could not be seen. The mews could only see Ichigo's body blocking him from view.

"Holy…mew…" Mint's breath hitched at her throat, stopping her from speaking.

"Oh MY GOD ICHIGO!"

"Get away from him! NOW!"

"W-what?" Ichigo's peered up, face still damp from tears though most of it had been wiped off against Ryou's shirt. She stared at him dazed, but didn't move.

"Get AWAY!"

"He's POSSESSED!"

"AHHHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHH!" Ichigo jumped up and fled, still screaming with her hands against her head.

"AHH!"

The three mews screamed yet again, in response to Ichigo. At this point, the room was filled with senseless nonstop screaming. A continuous screech that would only be picked up by another girl when one had run entirely out of breath from shrieking.

Ryou's shoulders shook uncontrollably, spasming so quickly that Ichigo's eyes had trouble following the outline of his body.

"AHHHH!"

"What do we do? What do we do?"

"AHAHAHAHAHA." Ryou shook again and his expression was hidden beneath his knees. Convulsions swept through his body and stifled snickers escaped his lips when he finally managed to silence his sudden explosion of…

"MUAHAHAGARHAHAHAHA…gakghhaak." Something had been caught in his throat when another burst of laughter escaped from him. Unfortunately, reeling in laughter resulted in a shaking body curled up against the ground now hacking and gagging like a choking wild animal.

"AHHHH!"

"Drown him in a tub!"

Ichigo watched on helplessly, only participating in the occasional scream as she could not find her voice for actual words.

"AHAHAHA!" The blond finally lifted his head and sat up. One hand was pressed against his stomach, another was against his mouth. His body was still shaking with the force of his laughter.

"EH?!" Ichigo, Mint and Lettuce cried.

"T-that w-was so scary na n-no AHHH!" Keiichiro and Zakuro were now convulsing in the same way. Pudding jumped up and quickly hid behind the three girls.

Ichigo stepped up and stomped over towards Ryou. Her harsh glare was softened by the tears beading at the corner of her eyes. And though she tried to hide it, the blond could clearly see the extra sheen of tears glimmering in her expression.

The redhead's powerful strides were effective, immediately silencing everyone in the room as a thick air of tension replaced the boisterous sounds of cackling and unsuppressed laughter. But as soon as she neared Ryou, her hands that had been once clasped into tight fists loosened against her side. Her stomping subsided, replaced by faltering steps and her certainty was stripped away.

"I…was…reallyscaredyoujerk!" She brushed past Ryou, head in her hands and slammed the door behind her as she ran out of the room.

Ryou stood silently in a daze, just catching a glimpse of the shimmering trail of tears that followed her uncertain if it was real. "What…just happened?"

Mint groaned. "Why do you think we chose to watch scary movies?"

"…" He was quiet, now staring at the closed door.

"Knowing how Ichigo is deathly afraid of horror movies, we'd figure you'd know to be there to comfort her."

When Ryou didn't response to Zakuro, Mint turned him around and pointed to Pudding and Lettuce.

"Like this na no da!" Pudding replied, casually slipping an arm around Lettuce who sat a little too stiffly beside the girl. Of course, if it had not been for the heavy air about the room, Ryou most probably would have had another uncharacteristic fit of laughter at how ridiculous of a man Pudding would make and the humorous spectacle of a little girl 'slipping' an arm around someone's shoulder when she had to struggle to barely reach past her neck.

"But instead, you scared the living wits out of her by acting like a possessed maniac!"

"Well, let's be a little fair." Keiichiro interrupted. "I did find the climax of the movie terribly funny with all the girls screaming."

"Akasaka-san!" Zakuro chided. But her serious expression soon transformed into an amused one. "Not _all_ the girls."

"Honestly, why is she angry? She just ruined the scene and made it impossible not to laugh at." Ryou readjusted his collar, trying to redeem his usual image before he paused suddenly. At his words, everyone turned to glare at him.

"What?" he gulped, eyes still straying towards the direction of the door. His hands surreptitiously slipped under his red choker, fingering the indent on the right side of his neck. Though he was logically reasoning through it, he couldn't help but feel a slight bit guilty. As silly as it all was, his strawberry had clutched her chest for dear life as she ran out of the room, leaving him with a sharp pang of pain to see her cry. She was _his_ after all, and it wouldn't do much good to have her upset.

But it wasn't as simple as that. Ryou couldn't fight that flash of pain behind the anger that had flickered in Ichigo's usual warm eyes. She had never been actually angry at him before with all the teasing and games, but he recognized that rare expression that appeared for the first time just recently. The one other time she had such a grim and hurt look was after he said he hated her at the mall.

Another shot of pain pressed against his chest, knocking out the breath in him.

"Go." Keiichiro's kind voice broke through his thoughts. The brunet had noticed the sudden change in expression – the softened look in Ryou's usual cold visage and the angle of his arched eyebrows furrowed in concern rather than anger.

"Go!" The others cried, sweeping their hands for him to leave.

With a final glance, and a heartfelt "thanks," Ryou ran out after Ichigo for the umpteenth time armed with determination to make her realize his feelings.

Zakuro watched the figure disappear in a flash and wore a smile. "Not exactly how we'd plan, but this will work too."

* * *

About this chapter:

Ichigo gradually learns to read Ryou's mood based on only his eyes and always ends up being around to experience his most embarrassing moments even though he always acts so cold around everyone else. But even Ryou is starting to warm up to the others in trying to win Ichigo over, like laughing openly even though he tries to hide it afterwards.

Please forgive me for getting the details of the movie wrong. I personally don't have the stomach to watch scary movies so I _really_ didn't want to go back and check for the details, seeing how I was tricked into watching it the first time. (Yes, the screaming scene was inspired by a real life experience.)

Sorry they're not together yet! I didn't want to drag it out or anything, but I wanted to show a realistic reaction from them. After a heated encounter like that, it'd only make sense that Ichigo would be insanely shy and nervous about it. As for figuring out Ryou's feelings for her which she should really be able to tell by now, her need to think it through is clouded by her embarrasing thoughts. No worries, they'll soon be together. When Ichigo begins to calm down a bit about everything that's happened, she'll finally be able to piece things together. This chapter may have seemed unnecessary, but it was used to help Ichigo get over her embarrassment around Ryou more quickly.

_Random food for thought:_

_I don't know if you've noticed, but the past few chapters have had an underlying theme other than to move along the plot. Well, this is what I've been trying to show, though personally, I can't tell if I'm doing a good job at this._

_Aside from getting closer to each other physically, they've been constantly caught in strange situations where they bail each other out. It's not just purely physical and they're increasing trust in each other is displayed by their ability to work so well together, even if they don't notice it. Though strange and uncertain, their relationship contains a vast amount of trust and understanding. All of this happens without either of them actually saying what they want to and because of this, they're unsure of where they stand. (Yes, it's the whole struggle with the pre-dating stage and hidden emotions and whatnot)...thus the title, 'Unspoken Words.'  
_


	26. Revelations in the Darkness

**Unspoken Words**

I'd like to thank you all for supporting this fanfic! It just makes me so happy to know that people _like_ reading what I'm writing :D

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 26****: Revelations in the Dark**

Deep in the dark halls of Mint's mansion was a lone girl. She sat with her knees up, leaning against the wall for support as her arms clutched at her legs for dear life. Her usual vibrant red hair was dull and lifeless in the cover of the night. She kept her head down, trying to ignore the flicker of movement her eyes would catch when she had allowed herself to look up from her position on the floor.

It was late at night, perhaps early morning and the large windows she was facing was dark as black. It was cloudy and even the usual moonlight could not filter through the thick wisps of condensed water particles. Not a single stream of light passed through the glass, yet even so, Ichigo swore she saw a shadowy figure slip past the doorways, right before she had turned around to get a full look.

Not that there really was anything to look at since she couldn't see. Her hands trembled uncontrollably and her body gave into a frantic shudder. Of course the fact that there really was nothing that could be darker than the complete black that surrounded her, meaning that it truly was impossible to see anything even _if_ something was there, did not help to calm her fears. Rather, the fact that the the image of the hall (or lack of one) was exactly the same whether she kept her eyes opened or closed, sent another wave of panic through her body.

She gulped. _I should be getting back._

Ichigo tried to get up, slowly rising from the ground as she kept her hand pressed against the wall behind her. It was the only thing keeping her from going insane. The darkness swallowed her whole. If it was not for the wall, the only solid thing she could actually touch and rely on, she'd have long given up. Yet even with the reliable wall at her back, her mind constantly brought her attention to the sounds and movements she may or may not have actually heard or seen.

She would have cursed herself for foolishly running off without looking, if not for her inability to speak. _Stupid Mint and her stupid house, _she raged in her head but could not say aloud. She had gotten lost long ago in the convoluted hallways of Mint's all too large mansion, which was unfortunately even bigger than the mall. It was a bit later when the darkness completely took over so that she could not even see her hands in front of her.

At this thought, Ichigo slumped back onto the ground, knees growing weak. "D-da…" Her breath caught in her throat and her attempt to curse failed miserably.

_Tap, tap, tap_.

Her head shot up, scanning the area. She held her breath, sitting up in alertness. Her hands were stiff against her sides. _That was nothing…_

_Tap, tap, tap._

_I didn't just hear that! _She quickly dug her head back against her knees, arms now wrapped tightly around her legs. The way the soft taps echoed through the empty halls sent a cold chill down her spine. Her body shook. It was getting louder.

_...TAP, TAP, TAP..._

_No, I must have imagined it again._

She heard the faint taps getting close and sucked in a sharp breath. _It's nothing! _She forced her eyes shut. Her knuckles were going white as she dug her nails painfully into her knees.

_Breathing…is someone breathing in background?_ Her chest was tight as her body screamed for her to breath again.

But she couldn't, not with the…

_Is…is that the sound of something sloshing against the ground?_

She bit her bottom lip. _'Something' like a dead girl looking for revenge…_

A flash of the hideous figure, dark, black with a mess of long wet hair appeared in her mind. _No, no, no damn it! Ichigo stop scaring yourself! Stupid Mint and her stupid scary movies…_

Tears were already welling up at the corner of her eyes as she closed her eyelids tightly shut. The force of her bite nicked her lip, causing a pungent coppery taste to invade her mouth.

Without warning, Ichigo was rudely interrupted from her thoughts. Something, the weight of _something_ was on her shoulder. Her head went blank; even her mind was at a loss of words. The weight felt real enough.

She turned her head slowly, still holding that breath. Her face was red, heated and tear-stained. Her eyes gradually scanned through the darkness, gaze directing towards her shoulder.

All the remaining breath was knocked out of her. Her eyes went wide. She broke out in a cold sweat. And during the entire time, she could not break her gaze away from it.

'It' being the pale hand, skin as white as a lifeless corpse that was squeezing her shoulder.

"I…chi…go?"

"AHHHHHHHH! Get off, get off, get off!"

She spun around and shut her eyes, hoping that when she opened them, she would not see the image of the eerie white hand.

_Wait…see?_ And then it occurred to her, she had just _seen_ it.

She opened her eyes, still facing away and blinked a few times. _There's light_.

The redhead let out a huge sigh of relief when she felt the weight lifted from her body, only to stiffen up in the very next moment when she heard the familiar patter of footsteps dangerously close, making its ugly way around her.

_Tap, tap, tap_.

She closed her eyes and braced herself. Whatever creepy monster that was, it couldn't hurt her if she couldn't see it right?

"I guess the flashlight really did come in useful huh?"

Her head shot up from its hidden position. "Ryou?!"

There he was in all his annoying Ryou-like glory, standing in front of her appearing perfectly calm. Well, not entirely calm. His body did occasionally give into the slightest tremors as he pressed his lips together from letting an inappropriate chuckle escape from him.

She glared at him intensely, before finally dropping her head back between her knees in silence.

"Oh come on Ichigo. That was hilarious!" The blond directed his flashlight at the sulking redhead, trying to get her attention.

"Hn." She grunted. It was barely audible.

"That was priceless how wide your eyes got. You looked like a deer caught in the headlights." He paused, trying to get another response from the slumping girl. "And that was just my hand. I can't begin to imagine what you would've done if I had shined the light to my face."

The figure on the ground made no sound much to Ryou's dismay. He would have at least expected her to stand up and start huffing at him about what a big jerk he was, not to mention her swift delivery of those slaps that he knew he deserved. But it wasn't like he actually did that on purpose…

And that was the truth. He had only intended to rouse Ichigo who had seemed to be asleep and the light had just happened to fall on her shoulder where his hand was. Well even if that wasn't on purpose, Ichigo's reaction was hysterical and even the supposed emotionless Ryou had a sense of humor. A sick one maybe, but it was still there.

"Look, it was an accident. I was just trying to wake you up." He sighed, settling beside her a few feet away.

Resting the flashlight on the floor, he turned to look at the girl. Only a mass of red hair could be seen – her face was hidden deep within the crevices of her bent arms which she kept over her knees. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

"…Ichigo?" His voice was uncertain. It hadn't been very smart of him to laugh in such a dire situation. "Are…you okay?"

It was muffled, but Ryou could make out the sound of Ichigo sniffing.

"Ichigo?" His concerned gaze landed on her shoulders which now quivered more violently than before. "I – " He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the words. "I'm sorry."

She hiccuped in response, as if casting doubt upon what he had said.

"Really." He slid a little closer to the girl, carefully watching her the entire time. Her head seemed to move just the slightest.

The sudden flickering of the flashlight broke his attention from Ichigo for a second, before the light gave out entirely. In the darkness, he could hear just the mildest whimper…

"It's okay Ichigo," He leaned closer, settling against her side. He could feel her shaking. The trembles traveled right through his body and straight to his heart, hitting him with a feeling of uncertainty and inexplicable sadness. She didn't move from where she sat. Ryou slowly lifted an arm to slip it onto her shoulders. Her movements steadied and gradually fell still.

"Strawberry," he sighed pulling her close. Her shaking had stopped, but her muscles were still tense. "It's okay."

Ichigo stirred slightly, just beginning to lift her head. It was dark and she tried to make out Ryou's expression from where she was, recognizing that soft murmur of his voice.

"I'm here for you."

It was the rare gentleness from him. Rare and special…and _hold on. He's a meanie!_

"Sh-shuddap." Ichigo muttered suddenly, just breaking away from her thoughts. "Y-you're s-such a j-jerk."

Ryou only held her closer, pulling her damp face against his chest. She sniffled again, weak and unresisting as she inhaled his scent through the cloth of his shirt. He had not seemed the least bit fazed by her words.

"That's the Ichigo I know_._" A smile traced his lips in the darkness that could be easily missed. But Ichigo could feel the smile through his words.

"I-I'm serious!" She hissed. Even so, it was impossible for her to resist that warm smile that chased away all the evil of the room, lighting the darkness – the smile that would take her breath away and make her heart skip a beat just to see him so relaxed and happy, so unlike his usual guarded self.

"Is that what you think of me?" His grin grew wider. "Guarded?"

"W-what a-are you talking about?" Yes Ichigo, damn your inability to keep your thoughts to yourself.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." His voice was confident and clear. He had finally stopped grinning, and wore a serious expression instead. She could feel his unflinching gaze upon her and even if she was totally invisible to him in the dark, her body fidgeted uncomfortably. His hands kept her close and she found it difficult to breath.

"Jerk. I'm still angry at you!" She seethed in return, trying to regain her hostility towards the blond. It was much easier now that he had stopped his hypnotizing smiles.

Ryou let out a heavy breath of air, still not releasing his arm around Ichigo's body. He kept her pressed against his side despite her unconvincing struggles. There was just something about her words and movements that he didn't buy.

"Will you stop being angry at me for laughing already? I can't help it if it was funny. Besides, why didn't you get angry at Zakuro or Keiichiro for laughing at you?"

Ichigo's body went completely stiff and she immediately stopped moving. After a few minutes of awkward silence, her body finally relaxed and she sighed her words. "You idiot. That's not what I'm angry about."

"So what _are_ you angry about? Why don't you tell me? You can't expect me to just know if you don't say anything to me."

She bit her lip, trying to fight back the tears.

"Tell me, Ichigo."

He pulled her towards his chest and she sank in his scent again, uneasiness calmed just slightly. She relished every sweet sensation –the incredible shock sent through her body at his simple touch, the warmth that always seemed to envelop her when Ryou was around. Her body had been sending her clear messages the entire time right from the moment she had met him. The way her breath caught at her throat, her sudden rise in pulse, and her quickly growing blush each time her boss had teased her with a near kiss only to flick her head afterwards, or when he had those rare moments of kindness. Her body had screamed out the very obvious truth of her feelings for him, yet it had taken three years for her to understand.

_Tell him? Tell him what? Where do I even begin?!_

She opened her mouth, but shut it immediately after. Her lips were pressed closely together. It truly seemed impossible.

But then she shook her head and held her breath to prevent herself from remembering his enticing smell and of all those fond memories that just suddenly seemed to emerge at this moment when he had forced the spotlight on her.

_Besides, I told myself before that I will _never_ let him know._ Her heart tugged at her chest. He was Ryou, afterall. Her boss, the guy responsible for the Mew Project. The very same man who overworked her and underpaid her. The guy who made her come in on holidays to clean up after _his_ leaking pipes when everyone else was given a day off. He made her stay behind almost every night to close up. He was the guy who only saw her as an employee for the café or a weapon to protect the Earth.

"You're a jerk. That's what I'm angry about, you jerk!" She screamed the words, letting out the huge amount of tension she had managed to build up just in the few seconds of thinking about what he did. _But most of all, he's the guy who will never see me beyond being just his waitress or a Mew._

He rolled his eyes, bringing his other arm over her. "Ichigo…"

"What?"

"You're still not telling me."

"It's because YOU DON'T CARE okay?!" She huffed accidentally letting the words slip. She pushed herself away from him. His hands easily slipped and he sat dazed in silence for a few seconds before he finally spoke.

"Wait, what?" He felt his shirt wet at his side where Ichigo had leaned against him and it tore him up inside to know that she was crying.

"It's just everything you do, you idiot! First you seem all interested and then you're all ehh whatever Keiichiro, we're not even together and then while I'm getting grilled by all those lovely spawns of the devil, yes the Mews – you're just soo relaxed about it all that it's insanely aggravating and impossible to bear just like all the times you've pulled back after everything we've _done_ which has left me completely breathless and woozy and just confused and how can you not even react to something as big as that when you're the only, _only_ person I've ever allowed to do things like that to me but you obviously DON'T CARE YOU STUPI- "

"ICHIGO!"

"What?!" It hadn't occurred to the redhead that Ryou had been screaming for her to stop the entire time.

"Come here you baka." He reached in the darkness and found Ichigo's shoulders. In one swift motion, he pulled her into a tight hug. A surprised squeak escaped from her mouth.

One arm was pressed against her back, bringing her closer. Another was placed at the back of her head, gently caressing through the soft tresses of red. Ichigo's body went limp and showed no signs of resistance as Ryou rested his chin on her head. He enveloped her in his warmth and her breath hitched at his sudden movement. Bold, daring, and completely _Ryou_.

_Damnit. I'm in love with him._ Ichigo wanted to snarl in opposition to the idea, but it really was impossible to do in her position. She relished his arms wrapped protectively around her. She could just fall asleep like this, snuggled close to him. It didn't matter that it was completely dark and entirely frightening when she had been alone only a few minutes before. _I could die happy like this_.

But Ichigo couldn't simply allow herself to be so easily distracted. The blond always found a way out of explaining things and what she needed most of all at this moment was an explanation. Okay, so it wasn't really as though she had confessed but even so, she had finally voiced to him all the things that had been bothering her and she expected a response at the very least. _Ugh_,_ I could hit myself for letting this end…_

"L-Let g-go." She sputtered, as she struggled somewhat weakly under Ryou's grip.

"No Ichigo. I'm never letting you go again." Ichigo stopped as soon as she heard those words and was pulled back against Ryou. Her hands pressed against his chest to cushion her head. His hand traveled slowly through her hair, weaving its way through until it found what it was looking for.

"I told you before." He softly brushed her cat ears with his finger tips and blew the next few words huskily into them. "You're _mine._" The teasing utter of his voice shot through her body, intensified by her sensitive hearing. It reverberated through her and Ichigo's muscles responded likewise by releasing their own shudders, causing the redhead's lips to part in another sudden gasp as a faint feeling of pleasure spread from her abdomen.

"I-I need more than that Ryou."

"How about this then?" In the darkness, his hands slipped over her neck and his fingers danced an eager trail over her vulnerable skin until it found its mark. Half a second later, Ichigo felt something warm and damp sliding across her neck. She gave another mild shudder and her eyelids fluttered momentarily before she found the voice to speak.

"P-Pervert. I meant…" She paused mid-sentence, nearly having revealed that she was _actually_ expecting a confession of some sort. _How ridiculous of me._ Her countenance turned sour, but her sudden mood change could not be seen by Ryou.

"What did you mean then?" His tone was still slightly teasing, but was beginning to revert to his usual seriousness.

"Ichigo…" He cooed, suddenly deciding it was much more fun the other way. His hands played with her ears and she mildly heard him lick his lips as she fought off a purr that threatened to erupt from her.

"I meant _that_! I'm not just someone you can toy around with just to discard right after."

"You've got it wrong…"

"No I don't! I – I'm not just here to play these ridiculous games with you without emotional attachment. I'm sorry Ryou but this – _this_…" She made a messy sweep across his muscled chest, fighting off a groan that tried to escape from her throat.

"I can't do _this_ without feeling anything!"

Ichigo felt herself growing red from embarrassment. Her face lit up with the thought of what she had suggested and hadn't said out loud. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was referring to, even if Ryou _was_ a genius.

"What games, Ichigo?"

Maybe she had been too presumptuous? Neither of them had actually admitted out loud what was going on between them. The undeniable attraction, the sudden urges, the caresses in intimate places, the sounds of them panting their names, the _everything!_ And it was driving her absolutely crazy thinking about these things without being able to bring it out in the open.

"R-Ryou. I- I can't do this anymore." She hated the uncertainty in her voice and her utter weakness. It was wrong to continue with this, even if she clearly enjoyed every second of it. She would not be able to keep her sanity for much longer if they did continue with their little trysts in secret. Even if it had really only happened once, just thinking about a second instance and having to pretend it was nothing was enough to drive her over the edge.

"Ichigo, they're not _games_. Who says there's no emotional attachment? I'm serious about everything." His voice was kind and gentle. His tone was certain without a single trace of doubt. Ryou reached up for her cat ears again and stroked them softly, lulling Ichigo into a calm. Taking her silence as an opportunity to finally speak without being interrupted or misunderstood, he continued.

"I'm serious about _you_, Ichigo." In another quick movement, he pulled her in by the waist, forcing her to lean on his lap. A soft squeak escaped was heard, but other than the simple utter, no other sound or words left Ichigo's mouth.

Ryou took a deep breath, rubbing the furry ears at the most pleasurable places. _I…I have to say it all before she interrupts again._ He remembered all those instances, all the misunderstandings, all the missed chances. _I'm not letting her get away again, not after three years of patience._

That single thought spurred him on and the emerging rumbles at Ichigo's throat gave him the confidence to proceed.

"Strawberry…"

_Purr, purrr…_

She nudged her head slightly against his hand, asking for more of the blissful touch.

Ryou sighed. He hadn't imagined that it would be like this. He had planned for it to be perfect – in some romantic restaurant with Ichigo completely aware of herself. _Not like this. Not with Ichigo as a half cat, too distracted to really listen, if she can even hear me past that purring._

His lips soon gave way into a grin though. That purring was all because of him.

"Y-yes?" Ichigo managed to utter softly between purrs.

He considered her for a moment, his hand just stopping its motion as he brought it into her hand instead. Her hand had been facing up, rested comfortable against his leg beside her head and he took it in his own. Ryou laced his fingers through hers, causing Ichigo to suddenly suck in a sharp breath and shuffle mildly on his lap.

"I…"

Ichigo sat up, waiting hopefully. She had pulled back her hands to help push herself back up from the floor.

"I…" Ryou held on tight to her left hand, unwilling to release it. "I've been waiting to say this for three years." He breathed out and the redhead groaned slightly. But noticing the pressure of his fingers pressing her hand into his palm, she let him continue.

"I..I love you, Ichigo Momomiya. Just you, and no one else."

Her heart stopped in that instant and in the very next second, doubled over in order to make up for the missing beat. She finally released a breath of air she didn't know she had been holding. Her eyes went wide, nearly tearing with happiness. There was a strained moment of silence as Ichigo allowed her body to adjust to the shock and the sudden euphoria that entirely swept her up.

If she hadn't been knocked out completely by those words, rendered entirely weak and limp by them, she would've jumped up and danced around in joy.

"I…chigo?" He choked back slightly, uncertain what to make of it. "Y-You don't have to answer me. Just know that-"

She pressed against his hand in response, giving it a small squeeze as she brought it to her wet cheeks. _These hands are so warm, so loving, so…_

"R-ryou." Her voice cracked while she rubbed the back of his hand fervently up and down her cheek to show her affection. It was her cat genes acting up; now that she was fully fledged with her feline ears and tail, she couldn't help but rub herself against his hand like a cat begging to be pet.

"I'm so sorry." He suddenly said, pulling away his hand. "I-I didn't mean to upset you Ichigo, really. I'd never want to make you cry."

"No Ryou, you're misunderstan-"

"Ichigo, I'm sorry for all _those_ times if you thought I didn't care. I didn't mean for it to get so far…"

She blushed a deep shade of red. Her words diminished to a complete silence as embarrassment took over.

"So I promise you, I'll stop losing control to those…" He coughed. "…urges."

Ichigo was thankful for the darkness, feeling the heat radiate off of her face. Though she wasn't too sure she liked what she had just heard.

"To show you that I'm serious about my feelings for you. I didn't do those things without a reason. I wasn't using you or just messing around. I could never, _never_ just 'mess around' with you." Despite his collected manner of speaking, Ryou's face was faring no better than Ichigo's burning one.

"R-Ryou…" Ichigo squeaked, relieved that she wouldn't have to look at him. With the darkness hiding her embarrassment, she found it a little easier to speak honestly. "I…didn't mean it like that."

The blond let out a surprised cough, but did not speak.

Ichigo hadn't missed it though, and now wondered whether it was a good idea to say that. She jumped slightly at the twitch of Ryou's hand still against hers before collecting herself and tracing her other hand up his arm in the dark.

He sucked in a shallow gasp of air, muscles stiffening at her touch even if it was through his shirt. Her fingertips trailed up his arm and followed past his shoulders, finally making its way to his chin.

"Ryou…I…" She pressed her palm against his face, leaning in closer to him now that she knew where he was.

Ryou felt her nose brushed across his left cheek, light and teasing. The tip of her nose touched the shell of his ear, and he nearly let a soft groan escape. Really, right after he had given her that talk, letting her know that he had good intentions, he couldn't carelessly utter any sounds that would be incriminating to his promise.

_But with the way she's touching me_... He released the mildest shudder.

And then a soft whisper by his ear whipped him back to his senses. "I…like you Ryou."

Ichigo felt his cheek hot against her hand, and gulped.

"I think…I might even love you." She gave him a messy peck on the cheek, before quickly pulling away from him completely with a nervous squeak.

Ryou gave into a strange coughing fit before finally regaining his composure and spoke again.

"...Does that mean you _want_ me to touch you like that?" His tone was teasing, but he was genuinely curious.

"Ryou!" Ichigo squeaked, once again grateful for the darkness. _Maybe…_

He let out a heavy sigh. "You _think_ you _might_ love me? I just confessed my undying love for you Ichigo and that's the best you can come up with?"

"…Well, I…" She struggled with her words, cursing herself for not being brave enough to speak the entire truth.

"It's better than I could have hoped for."

"Wait, what...?" Her head snapped up in shock. After letting the words sink in, a smile crept onto her face. "…I can give you better."

Without warning, Ryou suddenly felt the soft touch of Ichigo's lips against his. She was kneeling forward, leaning into his seated figure against the wall. Her palms pressed against the floor, damp with a cold nervous sweat. He brought a hand against her waist, pulling her down until she crashed into his chest and wrapped his other arm around her.

She gasped into his half parted lips and he took the opportunity to allow his hunger to be satiated by the moist muscle that now explored her sweet mouth. If Ichigo had still been kneeling, her knees would have buckled beneath her and she would have found herself falling into his chest once again. His tongue flicked against hers, challenging for her to fight back. When she complied, pushing forward in a heated battle of dominance, she felt a small shiver run through his body. Their mouths moved deftly together - fitting together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle, refusing to part once they were together.

Ichigo's lung screamed for air but she ignored it with all her might, losing herself to the incredible kiss. Ryou finally pulled away, only a hair's length from her face as the both panted breathlessly into each others parted mouth – their breaths intermingling in such a way that drove them both nearly insane with the need for another kiss. Despite the darkness, or maybe more so because of it, the moment seemed so much more intimate.

"W-wow." Ichigo muttered mindlessly. The word just slipped from her but she made no movement to pull away any further. Her lips were still burning and slightly swollen from the contact.

"I can kiss you again right?"

_Please do._ "I-If y-you want."

His lips descended on hers without a moment of hesitation. Her skin almost went numb from the excess of electric sensations that she felt running through her body. He pulled her close, leaving no gaps between their bodies and she hungrily drank in the soft and innocent tap on the lips.

But it wasn't enough for her.

She parted her mouth as she ran her fingers down his chest, shuddering at the arousing feel of his muscled arches. Her tongue slipped out of her mouth, and she licked the bottom of Ryou's lip begging for entry.

Despite the groan that rumbled from his throat, he continued to keep his lips pressed together, even when she tried to pry them apart with the tip of her tongue. Finally giving up, she allowed herself to enjoy the feel of his arms wrapped around her protectively. Even the softest tap was overflowing with an indescribable love for her. Sweet and gentle, and just as enjoyable as any heated kiss.

Ichigo smiled into his lips. Her eyes closed as she relished the blissful sensation running over the surface where Ryou had pressed against. _This is Ryou's gentle side._

He pulled away, chest heaving as his heavy breathing was silenced with an effort. "I…think we should stop." He gulped, now prying the girl away from his chest and thankful that only half of her body was leaning against him.

"But I didn't know kissing could be so fun until I met you!" Ichigo huffed indignantly, before hurriedly cupping her mouth in horror.

The blond patted his hand against the floor in silence, choosing not to respond though his mouth was curved up in the biggest smirk. Finally, his fingers fumbled upon the handle of the flashlight on the ground. "It's time to get back. The others will be wondering what took us so long."

"Eep!" Ichigo squeaked, tail lapping hard behind her. It slapped Ryou's hand in its agitated movement. "The _others!_ I can't _deal _with them now." She groaned, bringing a hand to her head to settle the headache that suddenly throbbed through her skull.

"If it really bothers you that much Strawberry, we can pretend nothing happened." He said cautiously, reaching into his pockets.

"I don't want to pretend nothing happened!" She snapped. "We _always_ pretend nothing happened."

Ryou smiled, enjoying every second of her sudden distress that revealed her affection for him. "I didn't mean it like that Ichi. I mean to pretend nothing happened in front of the others. It'll be like our old games again, part 3."

"Ichi…?" Ichigo questioned somewhat dazed. _It sure has a nice ring to it_.

"Ehem." Ryou cleared his throat. The term 'Strawberry' was a pet name reserved for her, but the blond was still agitated by Keiichiro's casual use of 'Ichi-chan.' "You don't mind do you?"

"I love it, but I still like 'Strawberry' more."

"I thought you hated that."

"Only when you worked me to death with it."

He chuckled lightly at her defiant words.

"I…secretly liked it though." She admitted, feline features still present.

"That's still not getting you a raise."

"I would never use you like that!" Ichigo huffed, beginning to rise to her feet.

"Uhh huh. You're such a kid Ichi." He ruffled her hair with a smile plastered on his face.

The smile had been there ever since she had told him of her attachment to his pet name for her and it refused to disappear since. He thought back to the instances at the mall when he had inadvertently smiled without even knowing it and now understood. He had finally caught Baka Strawberry Syndrome completely. It was impossible not to smile when Ichigo was around.

"You're the one in love with a kid."

"Hai, hai, hai." He said defeated. "Are you sure you don't _love_ me Ichigo?" It wasn't quite fair to push, but Ryou swore that he had nearly heard her say that in the bathroom earlier before.

"Well, that's um…"

"Forget I asked. You'll say it when you're ready." With a little help from him of course…

Ryou rose from the ground. He took the flashlight and slipped the old batteries out, placing them into his pockets. "They're waiting. Let's get back."

"But how?" Ichigo glanced through the darkness surrounding them, squinting at the nothingness before her.

"Looks like you were right about the batteries."

"Eh?"

"The extra batteries that I brought along with the flashlight…" Ryou reached in his other pockets and pulled out the new set of batteries, before placing them into the flashlight. He switched it on, causing a steam of light to flood through the concentrated source.

"Oh!" It took a few seconds for both of them to adjust to it.

"And the GPS." He mused with a small smirk, not missing her furry black ears and tail. "Of all the chances that you'd actually be right…"

"HEY!" She huffed with her arms crossed. "But in any case, _I told you so!_" She cried triumphantly.

He rolled his eyes at her. After reaching out for the GPS, he passed it to Ichigo. "Just give me the directions. The red line on the map is where I've walked. We'll just have to trace our way backwards to get back to the room."

"Eh?" Ichigo pouted, rotating the GPS in every which way and that as she tried to figure out left from right.

"Ugh, you really can't do anything without me can you, Strawberry?" He exchanged the flashlight for the GPS and grabbed her free hand as he led the way.

Ichigo looked down at where their fingers intertwined, feeling Ryou's steady grip around her hand and smiled._ No, I can't_.

* * *

Yes! Finally! I know this has been the moment you've all been waiting for. Goodness, those stubborn felines should have just talked about it so much earlier! (Yes, I shouldn't be saying that since I was the one who forced them to act that way) Incredible how just talking clears up so much. But, I tried to keep everything within character (I doubt it would've been that easy to just 'talk' after all _that _happened.)

Moral of the story, ask if you're not certain! ...well, it wasn't really my intention to give relationship advice of any sort, but this ended up being a focus in the story. Mostly, I wanted to develop their feelings for each other while showing a very real and human reaction that was still within their characters. I do plan to continue with after they are together and that may end up extending this story to a couple more chapters.

Gosh, I'm soo sorry it took _this_ long to get them together, but I promise I'll make it up to you Ichigo x Ryou fans. :)

--

This has been my most successful story by far. And I have to say, I do like how it's been going. Personally, I felt like I rushed Starlight a little at the end but that was my first fic, so I've learned.

This may be the last long Tokyo Mew Mew story that I will write. (Long as in over 20 chapters) But I can't know for sure about Living in Your Shoes yet (most probably it'll be between 10-20 chapters because I find it really difficult to have fresh humor for every chap). I really do like how this story has developed, but it takes way too much time to complete one story like this. I may do a couple of one shots ( I have one in mind with Kish already...)

Or I may have a complete story split into 3 shorter ones with part 1, 2 and 3. Part of the reason I might do this is because I think a really long story might discourage some people from reading and so they'd never even really give it a chance to begin with. Do you guys think that this fanfic warrants an M rating? (I'd really love to reduce it to a T if possible...but that's seeming very unlikely.)

I have a short sequel in mind for this story too (probably around 10 chaps or less), but that's still a long way off.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form


	27. Dangers of the Supernatural

**Unspoken Words**

Yay an update! Don't worry. I'm not just going to end the story with their confession. There are going to be a couple of chapters about what happens afterward. It will most definitely be 30+ chapters. 35+ if I add that tidbit I wanted to include with the return of Masaya ;) But, I think that would work better as part of a sequel...(The sequel should be considerably shorter, 10 chappies or less? Though with the way I write, it might end up being more.)

Anywho, enjoy the read! 10+ reviews til the next update!

Ohh, as a sidenote:

School has started! I unfortunately will not be able to update that often...But, even if the updates take awhile, I always guarantee an ending to every story I start, that is if people are interested in it. (It might be a long wait though...September and October are looking pretty grim at the moment.)

Luckily, I had this chappy written for some time. I knew it would come in useful. Cherish this chapter! It will be the last one for awhile...

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 27: Dangers of the Supernatural**

.:Of vengeful phantoms and perverted aliens:.

"Ready, Strawberry?" Ryou slipped the GPS into his pocket and stood in front of the door. They had found their way back pretty quickly and despite the darkness, Ichigo had not once whimpered, trembled nor heard any imaginary sounds while she had Ryou to lead her. His hands still clasped hers as he raised his other free hand to the doorknob.

"Eto…" Ichigo's mutters caught his attention. "My…uh hand." She shifted around awkwardly.

At her words, he pulled away. Though he was reluctant and a little disappointed, he wore a blank and unaffected expression. If it had been up to him, he would have gladly strolled in with Ichigo beneath his arms, just to make it a point to those who may be interested in her – namely Keiichiro – that she was his and his only.

But Ichigo was not nearly as bold as Ryou. He knew that she would have been too embarrassed and respected her wishes to keep their relationship a secret at least for a while, even if it pained him. Not just to have to refrain himself from stealing quick kisses, or from holding her like he wanted to, but it hurt a little that Ichigo was not yet ready to openly admit her feelings for him to other people – that she would be embarrassed to be involved with him.

_I can't expect that much though. Even for me, it took the whole team of Mews to get me to admit it._ Not to mention the advances of his supposed best friend, whom he could still not trust with Ichigo.

He sighed and slowly turned the doorknob clockwise under his tight grip. With a half strained smirk, he opened the door. "Commencing part 3…"

With the door swung open, Ryou blinked a couple of times.

"Ryou, are you okay? You sounded kind of …" She nudged him aside, trying to get a better look into the room. "…upset."

Ryou would have smiled at Ichigo's surprisingly sharp perception – rarely could anyone read through his blank disguises he so often wore, however, the blond was currently distracted by the curious image of the room as was the now squinting Ichigo.

"Where…is everyone?" Ichigo followed him into the dark room. The lights had been left off.

**BAM!**

"Eek!" Ichigo jumped at the sound. The door had slammed shut. Her cat features had popped out in the scare. Her furry black ears twitched uncontrollably and her tail lashed wildly, whipping Ryou in the leg who happened to be standing beside her.

"Relax." Ryou wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side. The gesture was simple, but the weight of his arm was enough to steady Ichigo's shaking body. She felt the mild pressure of his fingers squeezing against her arm in reassurance.

"Hold on," he whispered, dropping his arm from her.

"Where are you going?" Her eyes opened wide in alertness, and she directed the flashlight she was still holding to his back. "Don't leave…" She muttered, reaching for his hand as he walked away.

"I would never leave you."

The dim outline of Ryou's face as he turned around knocked her breathless. His hair was swept carelessly across his forehead, his defined jaw was set with determination and the way he looked at her almost made her sigh in admiration. His pale blue eyes watched her slightly narrowed, as it shimmered with so much emotion that she wanted to jump up against him and absorb it all. He watched her with a piercing gaze that bore through her soul and then his lips curved up into a genuine smile.

She averted her eyes to the floor, chest suddenly feeling as if it would burst if she continued to stare at those beautiful cerulean orbs and she slowly but surely, relearned how to breath. Catching her breath, she attempted to speak. Her voice was meek and shy. "C-Can I come with you?"

His grin grew wider and Ichigo had nearly choked before she could finish her question. "You didn't even have to ask." He reached for her hand and pulled her to him with a wide grin on his face.

She crashed into his chest with the force of his tug and would have tripped if it was not for his steadiness. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close while pressing her head to rest against his body.

For a few minutes they stood completely still, breathing a little erratic, as both of them sunk into utter bliss of their simple hug. Ichigo inhaled a heavy breath of air, eyes closed as she sniffed the familiar and reassuring scent that Ryou naturally exuded. There was nothing like the faint smell of the oils from his skin, strangely resembling vanilla though not quite, mixed with a pinch of the scent of his sweat. Even artificial colognes would have a hard time competing with this captivating smell. _God, he even _smells_ sexy._

She snuggled closer, nudging her head against his chest as a low purr made its way to her throat. Ichigo felt so safe in his arms. She felt strong and invincible when she was surrounded by this warmth. _I'm so glad I fell for him_. She thought as a large smile played across her lips. Part of her swelled up with pride at the fact that she, the clumsy thickheaded baka, was able to snag _this_ guy. The man whom too many women would easily beat her up for.

Not that it mattered considering she'd be able to take them all down, especially if she felt anywhere as confident and strong as she did at this moment within his arms. Ichigo snarled briefly at the idea of fawning women, still lost in her string of thoughts.

Ryou was lost in his own thoughts as he rested his chin against her head and breathed in the stirring scent of strawberry shampoo combined with Ichigo's hair, but he had not missed the threatening grumble at his cat girl's throat. His eyes opened lazily, just acknowledging the sound as he broke himself from his daydream.

"What…was that?" He drawled as he struggled to open his heavy eyelids. His question was muttered softly, words barely escaping from his curved lips. His hand combed through her silky hair until it reached her ears. And though Ichigo was already purring, when he gently rubbed the fuzzy cat ears at the base, her rumbles of pleasure intensified. Her purrs overwhelmed his sense of hearing and he gladly gave in to a shiver as he held her close, noting the arousing vibrations that left her throat and swept through his body.

"Just thinking of how I'd take care of those other women." She barked as she pulled away in her vigor, causing the blond to almost lose his balance at the unexpected motion. Ichigo cupped her mouth in horror for her words. Her cheeks blushed a whole new layer of red in her embarrassment.

Ryou was quick to recover. Seeing the redhead shy around him erased all traces of annoyance he felt towards her for suddenly ending the moment. He chuckled at her sharp words and the childish way she had said it.

"Other women?" He gave her a glance – she huffed with her cheeks inflated, lips in a full pout and the way she rested her hands against her tilted hip was adorable. "I love it when you're spunky."

Ichigo took a step back and stuck her tongue out at him despite her warm cheeks.

"But you should know there's no other woman for me." Ryou walked off into the darkness with a large smirk, leaving behind a sputtering girl who struggled with a response.

"R-r-ryou!" Her face flamed but she was in a state of utter euphoria. _Gosh, I don't think I've ever been this happy before_. She smiled distantly – her eyes were unfocused and dreamy, her lips were half parted. The intimidating darkness of the unknown simply disappeared and transformed into the rosy hue of the open sky as the sun was setting.

She could already picture them hand in hand, sitting on the beach. The soft sand pressed between their toes at the edge of the blanket they sat on. The sun was slowly sinking beneath the horizon of the sea. The water sparkled brilliantly of the warm rays of light, reflecting it back at them to give Ryou's handsome face a dim glow. Heavenly. She had fallen in love with an angel.

"Give me some light." He didn't need light. He was _giving off_ light.

"Give me some light." He repeated. Ryou's voice echoed somewhere in the room, breaking her from her daydream. The tense redhead led the flashlight towards the sound of the words, stiff and blushing madly at having been caught. _He does have that odd ability of reading my mind…_ Whether or not that was a good thing, was yet to be determined. It really seemed incredible to her how she could miss this observation so easily. Ryou had always understood her. Perhaps the very reason he had been able to annoy her so successfully was _because_ he always knew exactly what she was thinking. _Except for when it comes to him. He's an absolute idiot about my feelings for him._

"Thanks, Strawberry." She mildly heard his words and directed her attention to where her flashlight shone. The light reached a protrusion on the wall, casting a small shadow against the side of the switch. When she caught sight of Ryou reaching over towards the switch, she gave in to another smile. _How did he know I'm scared of the dark after scary movies?_

"Damn switch is broken!" He grumbled before walking back towards Ichigo. A sigh escaped his mouth. "Will you be okay with just the flashlight?"

Before Ryou could register what was happening, the flashlight had dropped onto the ground without a second thought. Ichigo ran over and hopped onto him, hugging him with her arms and legs in an imitation of Pudding's hugs. "Nyaaa!" She squealed, causing the blond to raise his eyebrows suspiciously at the girl.

"Who knew my jerk of a boss could be so _sweet _nya?!"

"Baka." He scoffed, as the flashlight continued to roll on the floor away from them. He linked his arms together to support her weight, bringing them under her legs to avoid touching any inappropriate places. "So I take it you're not embarrassed anymore?"

Suddenly realizing, Ichigo hopped off and chuckled awkwardly. "Ehehehe. Oh…yeah." She brought a hand to her head and scratched it.

Ryou simply rolled his eyes at her, noting how the flashlight had stopped in the corner of the room and how very dark the room was save for the glow of the light reflecting back from the corner of the walls. "Ichigo…"

"Yeah?" She chirped merrily.

"Aren't you scared?"

"Eh?"

"It's dark."

"Oh my gosh, I'm not scared!" She cried suddenly. Her tone was surprised and cheerful.

Suddenly, the television flickered on.

"AHHH! I'm scared, I'm scared!" She shrieked, running towards Ryou who received her with an amused smirk. His back had been facing the television and though Ichigo had seen what was playing, he had not. Using the flashes of light from the paneled wall of the large LCD, Ryou found the couch and brought the trembling Ichigo to it.

Her eyes were closed in fear and she cupped her hands over her already shut eyes. The blond watched her, his lips were pressed together in a thin line; his eyebrows furrowed together in concern. He covered her cowering form, shielding her from the spastic flashes of light with his arms, before he finally turned around to get a look at the screen.

It played a black and white scene – silent and eerie and oddly familiar. It was the video from the tape of the horror movie they had just watched. It flicked image after image. The fly that was found in almost every frame, the creepy woman combing her hair, the cliff above the clashing waves against the sea that remained eerily quiet and finally…

"AHHHH!"

Even Ryou nearly jumped at her scream. "Shh Strawberry. I think I hear something."

_Tap, tap, tap._

"Omigod, omigod. She's coming!" She muttered. "I-I-It's the l-l-log scene!" Ichigo's feet were tucked beneath her and she rocked back and forth on the couch.

_Tap, tap, tap._

"Calm down, Ichi." He sighed, brushing away the hair from her forehead as he leaned forward to give her a soft kiss there. But before he succeeded, she suddenly pulled away to continue with her screeches.

"CALM DOWN?! How can I? How can _you_ be so calm?!" She shrieked, before continuing her incoherent grumbles.

Ryou leaned away completely and stood up. "Because I have an idea about what's going on."

_Tap, tap, tap._

"Ryouu…" She whined, now resorting to another method of dealing with her fears. Her eyes were pleading. Her hands grasped at his vest and her lips trembled.

"Listen Ichigo. You're stronger than this. What happened to the spunky girl I know?"

Ichigo jolted up in defiance before her countenance rapidly dropped again. "I was s-spunky against other women, other _live_ women. Not s-so m-much with d-d-dead ones…"

_Tap, tap, tap._

"Were you even paying attention to the movie? It's a dead _girl_, not woman." Ryou said lightly with a smirk.

Ichigo glared at him, clearly unamused, but at least she was no longer trembling with fear.

"Ichigo, you can fight it." He pressed two hands against her shoulders as he faced her, choosing to ignore the image of the growing black dot on the screen at their side as well as the increasing sound. "You're stronger than this. You're a _Mew_. You've protected the _world_. You've dealt with the supernatural. "

She calmed slightly, just enough to tilt her head inquisitively.

"Aliens."

"Oh right. But Kishu isn't anywhere as scary as an amorphous dead girl." She whined.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh fine, he's scary in a perverted way but – "

"Perverted?" Ryou's eyes suddenly flared. "What did he do? What did he do to you?!"

"Uh…_Mew Mew Ichigo – Meta-mor-phosis!_"

"ICHIGO!" He groaned, forced to step away from the transforming girl.

_Tap, tap, tap._

"You're right Ryou. I can fight it, whatever that's coming!" She cried triumphantly, choosing to completely ignore the blond's questions. _Besides, an angry Ryou is scarier than a dead girl. She can't dock my pay but _he_ can._

"…That's not what I meant when I said to fight it…" Her kitty ears caught his soft whispers, but she simply positioned herself towards the door, where the sound originated from and held out her Strawberry Bell, ready to attack.

"Hn." He grunted, scowling as he settled onto the floor some distance off stubbornly. _"_I'm not getting up from here until you tell me_."_

"I'll protect the both of us nya!" Her playful tone was slightly strained as she pretended to miss Ryou's words.

"Tch."

_TAP, TAP, TAP._

"It's here!"

Suddenly, the door swung open. Ichigo's eyes grew wide. There she was, in all her soggy faceless glory – the vengeful spirit that had never moved on.

"Ribbon Strawberry Che- "

"AHHH! Don't hurt Oneesama!" A figure dashed in front of the girl and held out her arms.

"-eh? Mint?!"

"Hey, Ichigo." The girl with the mass of soggy hair, parted it slightly now bringing it into her hands as she wrung out whatever excess water was there.

"Stupid Ichigo. You nearly killed her! I can't believe Zakuro-oneesama would do something so ridiculous for you!" Mint crossed her arms and stomped a foot against the ground.

"Well now, Mint. I didn't mind. It was fun." The idol smirked, as she leaned against the doorway. "Besides, I had just washed my hair so it wasn't much trouble." Even with her hair in a mess, she had that charming stardom aura around her. Rather than looking unprepossessing, Zakuro looked as if she could be posing for a wet-and-wild photo shoot.

"…Eto." In walked Lettuce, with one finger against her cheek. "I don't think the plan worked out too well, Akasaka-san."

Keiichiro stepped in and gave Zakuro a slight nod. "Good job." Then turning his attention to beyond the door, he spoke a little more loudly. "Pudding, I believe we can turn the lights back on and stop running the movie."

A few minutes later, the images from the screen stopped. Keiichiro reached for the light switch and flicked the light on.

It took a few minutes for Ichigo to understand what had happened. Or rather, she was too shocked to speak and could only gape at the people who had nearly given her a heart attack. "Wa-What?!"

"Figures it'd be them." Ryou responded from his seat on the floor. He waved a hand languidly at them to dismiss them. "It'd take a baka to get scared of that."

"I-I'm n – " She glared at the blond intensely. After detransforming, she stormed over with her hands on her hips. "I'm. Not. A. Baka!" She screamed, forcefully stomping on the ground right in front of him.

"So, so, so. What happened? Did it work na no da? Did Ichigo-neesan freak out and hug Bossman like planned?" The monkey girl suddenly whizzed into the room, interrupting a very tense moment.

"PUDDING!" The three mews and Keiichiro groaned.

Ichigo's eyes grew wide. She spun around to face the conspirators, russet orbs flaring with intensity. "ALL of you were in on this?!"

"Even Zakuro? And you, Keiichiro?" She stared at him with a sad expression as if she had just been betrayed.

"Tch, sounds like he was the one in charge of it." Ryou's tone was harsh as he watched Ichigo's pleading eyes directed at someone else.

The brunet looked away with guilt before sighing. "Ichi-chan…" He turned to face her, countenance serious before he suddenly leaned towards her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I'm so sorry Ichi-chan. It was absolutely necessary!"

Ichigo gave his arm a light tap. "It's okay," she sighed. _Besides, it wasn't so bad being stuck with Ryou._

"And you guys thought she'd cower in the corner or something?" Ryou scoffed, still scowling though now his tone was more agitated than usual. He sent a brief glare to Keiichiro before catching himself.

"Yes, but into _you!"_ Mint said in exasperation. "And who knows, maybe if you had been standing next to her instead of sitting on the floor and ruining the plans, it might've worked!"

"Uh…guys, I'm still here." Of course, Ichigo's words were ignored. Didn't they realize it might not have been the best idea to help Ryou win her over when she was in the same room listening to them talk about it? Not that it was really a problem considering she had already been won over, long before the blond had even confessed.

"She's the leader of the Mews for Christ's sake."

"_Who's deathly afraid of phantoms and ghosts_…" Mint's whispers were lost to all but Ichigo who stood closest to her. As Ichigo listened to Mint's words, part of her wished that things had gone according to their plans. For a brief moment, she considered this before her face lit up with a smile. Ryou had encouraged her – taught her to be brave and to step up, instead of taking advantage of her weakness. The redhead watched Ryou continue his grimace as he sat cross legged on the ground refusing to budge. _Even in his foul mood, he's adorable. I just want to go and coddle him to death when he's like this!_

Ichigo had to fight off a squeal while she continued staring as the others broke out into conversation about how wrong their supposed foolproof plan had gone. When Ryou's eyes met her gaze, the redhead's cheeks blushed fervently causing the blond to smirk at having caught her staring at him so shamelessly.

"I…I…I'm going to bed early!" Ichigo sputtered suddenly. Her eyes were focused on the floor and she was speaking to no one in particular. Her cat features had oddly reappeared. "I-I've had e-enough for one night nya. I th-think I've been s-spooked enough." Though that wasn't at all the reason why she was stuttering so much.

"Okay Ichigo." Mint said, much to the opposition of the others, "Make breakfast tomorrow."

"What?! Mint." The redhead whined, all nervousness forgotten. "Just cuz you say you want breakfast doesn't mean I'm going to make you breakfast. We're not at the café now. And don't you dare think that I'll get you tea either."

Mint smirked. "Well if you had that much energy to whine, maybe you don't need to sleep early. But if you're going to be sleeping early, I expect you to make breakfast for the rest of us."

"Mint! You have _servants_ for that!"

"Exactly…what's the problem?"

"Eh?" Ichigo paused. Her tail snapped back and forth in annoyance. There was an insult somewhere in there, she was sure.

"Baka, if you didn't catch on to that, she just called you a servant."

"I knew th-that!" Ichigo growled, raising a fist at Ryou as she glared at him.

"If you don't do it, I'm kicking you out of the house right now."

"Mint! Great best friend _you_ are." Then sighing as if defeated, Ichigo's expression lit up with a new idea. "But Mint, I'm a _lousy_ cook. You'll probably die from my cooking. Are you _sure_ you want that?"

"Hmm…" Mint twirled a strand of ebony hair around her finger as if listening. "You're right."

"YES!"

"Shirogane-san will help you."

"WHAT?!" Both the blond and redhead replied in unison. Ichigo – for _still_ having to make breakfast, and Ryou for the obvious reason of becoming involved in a chore totally unrelated to him.

"No, Mint. I'm not doing it. Why do I always have to be dragged into her problems?" Ryou leaned against his knees as he directed his attention to Mint. "...I'm docking your pay."

"That only works on Ichigo." Mint snorted. "Besides, making breakfast requires the both of you to wake up early. So I've already had your room prepared for you. Unfortunately it's separate from ours since we'll be up for awhile and I don't think any of us, including Keiichiro, would fancy being disturbed from our sleep when the servants are getting up to cook."

"Room?" Ryou questioned, more preoccupied by that thought than at having been called a servant.

"Yes, _one_ room for the _two _of you."

_Damn it. She's bribing me._ Ryou ignored the shrieks of opposition in the background and gave it a good thought. The strawberry was playing her part quite well. In fact, she actually sounded like she was hating the idea of sharing a room with him…which might be true considering how things had spiraled out of control last time.

"Oh, is that a bit of red I see, Shirogane-san?" Mint teased, poking a finger into his cheek. Ryou was rudely pulled back from his string of indecent thoughts and observed a very red cheeked fuming Ichigo.

"Hmm." The Lorikeet gave a sly backward glance towards Ichigo. "One night with Ichigo in exchange for one _measly_ breakfast. You know what she said was true. We might actually die from her cooking."

The blond stared at her blankly before he narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion. "You're plotting again, aren't you?"

"Hmm…just to get you guys together." Her eyes were closed and her voice was smug. It was as though she didn't even need to see his reaction to know what his answer would be.

"And weren't you afraid of me doing …ehem…_something_ to Ichigo?" And that's when Ryou's ears did enough of the blushing for him.

"I did…But you care about her too much to do something stupid like that." Mint whispered, patting his shoulder lightly. "Besides, _I'd have your head if you did_." She seethed as she wore the fakest smile.

Ryou stared incredulously while Mint gracefully retreated. As soon as she was beyond hearing distance, he gulped.

"Now that that's settled." She raised her voice.

" – I still can't believe you Mint. – "

"Hush now Ichigo." Mint said, silencing Ichigo's whines. "Now that that's settled, you guys can head back. Shoo shoo, run along." She haughtily swept her hands for them to leave.

"I'm not moving from here." Ryou stated as he shot a glance at Ichigo.

"But you have to help me with breakfast!"

He remained silent, eyes slightly narrowed at the redhead as he waited for an answer. "Well?"

"What?"

His glare never seemed to end.

She sighed, shooting him a silent pout across the room. _I'll tell you later._

Understanding, Ryou rose from the ground before any of the others could catch on to the snippets of their conversation. "Let's go, baka."

"That's right. Shoo, shoo." Mint wore a triumphant smirk and nudged them towards the door.

"And remember, I know all and I see all. GOT THAT Shirogane-san?" The blond nodded slightly. Though his expression was blank, his neck was oddly tense and even the simple motion was something he had to struggle with.

As they were shoved out the door, they mildly heard Pudding call after them: "Be sure to come back lovey-dovey na no da!"

For a few minutes, the two walked on in silence, both a little flushed at Pudding's words.

"So um...Kishu..." Ichigo muttered.

"What did he do?" Ryou immediately asked, alarmed.

"My first kiss."

"Excuse me?"

"Kishu stole my first kiss." Ichigo's face turned livid.

"Are you..._serious_?"

"It's not something I'm proud of okay? It's not like I _wanted_ my first kiss to be with an alien. I'd much rather have you as my first kiss." She spewed when she heard Ryou's muffled chuckles. After hearing herself speak, she quickly tried to recover. "...at least you're human."

"Alright, alright." He raised both hands in a motion to show that he was backing off. He smirked at her expression, amused by her indignation but more so, stirred by her little slip. She had wanted _him_ to be her first kiss.

Ichigo crossed her arms, obviously annoyed over either the unpleasant past or her unreliable mouth that often revealed her thoughts bluntly. "And why didn't you _say_ anything about the room?" She huffed with a bright red pair of cheeks to match her anger (or rather, it was embarrassment but she was disguising it as anger).

"Aww, you didn't want to share a room with me?" Ryou's lips were suddenly upon her ears and he breathed the words huskily into them. His tone was half pleading.

Her cat features instantly popped out. In the darkness, Ichigo had missed his sudden mood change. When the erotic transition had began, she wasn't entirely sure. "Well…y-y-ye - I MEAN NO!" She cried defiantly. "I j-just don't want things to get out of …control."

"I'm flattered you think I'm irresistible." He cooed after brushing her ear with the tip of his tongue.

"Eep! You pervert." Ichigo squeaked, face burning up at an incredible rate. The skin where she had been licked tingled and felt cool against the small wind of agitated air when she had jumped up.

"Are you such a flirt to all girls?" _That'd explain why all those girl swoon at his feet._ She recalled bitterly.

"Only to the girl I love, who happens to lov-like me back."

Ichigo's ears twitched at his statement. Had he slipped unintentionally, or was he making a certain reference to a brief private moment of hers in the shower?

Ryou smirked, now petting her warm feline ears. "I really do love these things. It's so easy to tease you with."

"Ryou!" She grumbled, indignant. "You were just teasing to make them come out?"

In an instant, he stepped behind her and wrapped two arms against her stomach, pulling her back against his chest. She gasped at his quick movement. "Were you hoping that I wasn't?" He growled the words playfully into her ears, and a stirring sensation ran through her as she stifled a gasp between her purrs.

"Cuz we've got all night, Strawberry…"

"Hmm..." She sighed contently and allowed her purrs to meld into her words in a seductive tone. Feeling drunk and high from the blissful vibrations she spoke with a smirk as all previous thoughts of embarrassment and inhibition were stripped loose.

"Oh, I know." Ichigo pulled out of his embrace and walked ahead. "And I'm gonna make you pay for teasing me."

Ryou stood still, completely stupefied as he watched the languid movement of the cat girl's tail. It curved suggestively and the bell tinkled to his delight.

"Ich-Ichigo...I was just kidding!" He called after her, groaning regretfully at the upcoming night of torturous abstinence.

* * *

Back at the room, Pudding was unfortunately not having half as much fun as Ichigo and Ryou.

"Awww…but it'll be no fun without them na no da!" Pudding said, still bouncing around after they were gone.

Lettuce yawned. "I'm a little tired myself." Her exhaustion may have explained why she voiced no complaint over the pair sharing a room. Otherwise, she would have been beet red at the moment and rambling incoherently.

"We gave Pudding too much candy…" Zakuro's voice began to trail off.

"Agreed." Keiichiro replied, his eyelids getting droopy as well.

Pudding huffed as she watched all of Mint's servants bring in various futons to lay upon the floor for the guests. "What was the point of all of that with Ichigo if we were just going to sleep early?"

Mint climbed into bed. "It's early morning. That's not early. It means it's very very late night." She said with a yawn. It was a good thing they had all showered during the time Ichigo had gotten lost.

"Aww…"

"Go to sleep Pudding. If you wake up early, you can spy on them." Lettuce said already half asleep.

"But…"

"Go to sleep."

"But what if…"

"Pudding!"

"Okay!" The monkey girl said all too loudly, causing a series of groans from the four other people in the room. "Goodnight then everyone!"

"Goodni…"

"Night."

"Hmm."

"Ni…zzz."

"…"

"…What do you think Ichigo-neesan and Bossman are doing now?"

Groans and muffled screams echoed in the room.

"Go to sleep Pudding, _please_."

"O-kay. Goodnight."

"Hn."

"But, do you think –"

"No I don't think, I want to _sleep!_" Mint snarled.

"Fine." Pudding leaned against her side, pouting in the dark.

"…" The silence was unbearable.

Pudding threw her blanket over and opened her mouth. "D-"

"GO TO SLEEP, Pudding!" The four cried in unison.

* * *

Still a couple more chapters to go before this story ends! I really didn't mean for Ichigo to seem timid, but rather, I was trying to show that she just became shy lately because of the confessions. Also, Ichigo has just been scared out of her wits from the movie.

Her shyness is used to show her feelings for Ryou in a way, at least in the first stage. Before, she was only nervous around him at the time she was still with Masaya because of the situations he put her in. But now, she's nervous being around him simply because she realizes her feelings for him. As for the confession and her inability to admit that she loves him out loud, 'love' is a big deal. Ryou has had 3 years to mull over his feelings for her, but Ichigo only starts to realize it now so it's harder for her to say.

Of course, as the story progresses, it'll show their relationship developing. Meaning, they will get past the shy stage, quite quickly too. (It helps that they yell at each other so much.) I do plan on continuing this story past the sleepover and perhaps set it up for a sequel (though whether or not I should do that is questionable...)

This chapter was for humor as well as to show that their relationship helps them grow as individuals. Rather than embracing Ichigo and creating a rather sweet and fluffy moment(which at the very least would make us squeal at the way they act now that they're _finally_ together), Ryou encourages her and reminds her of her strength that is momentarily overwhelmed by her fears of the supernatural. As for Ichigo, she'll play a similar role later on.


	28. Pleasant Dreams, Harsh Reality

Yes, an update at last!

I've been meaning to update this for awhile now, but I just haven't had the time. Unfortunately, this chapter is a bit short. I originally wanted to include a second part to this which I will probably add as another chapter later on. Or, I might just add the rest of it to this chapter afterward. If I was a better author, I'd probably wait til I had the second part before posting this up, but I just couldn't wait!

Sorry for the short chapter, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

* * *

**Unspoken Words  
**

**Chapter 28: Pleasant Dreams, Harsh Reality**

"Ryou" Ichigo sighed contently. Her arms and legs were entangled in the bed sheets- evidence of the intense movements from the night before. A peaceful expression swept her face, the kind that came from a good night's rest after a long, strenuous day. Snuggled under the covers, the girl remained lost in the comfortable world of sleep.

"Ryou…" She hugged the duvet closer, oblivious to the fact that the object of her affection was much softer than it should have been.

"Hmm." She muttered with her eyes still closed. Her arms wrapped against the fluffiness more tightly, remembering the warmth of that body. A smile adorned her lips as the redheaded girl thought fondly back. Her mind played the scene over and over again. Although she had it memorized down to the smallest detail- from the expression of Ryou's pleading face, his uncertain voice and then expression of surprise and hope, to the way the dim light of the lamp was cast against the wall- the events she had permanently etched in her head still evoked the same amount of excitement and euphoria as when she had experienced it in person.

A sharp ringing echoed in the room, causing the disoriented girl to stretch her arm over to the side of the bed and to pat the covers randomly. The sound reverberated in her mind, reminding her of the faint tinkling of bells.

"_Get my toothbrush will you? It's in the paper bag." Ryou called from inside the bathroom. _

_Ichigo walked over to the bed, grumbling slightly at the lone brown paper bag that sat at the edge. She grabbed it, still muttering at Ryou's lack of consideration over her feelings after having gently pushed her away from her advances, before tearing it open._

_What she saw inside immediately softened her expression._

"_Well?" Ryou leaned against the entrance of the bathroom with his arms crossed. Smiling, he asked "Where's my toothbrush?"_

_Half teary eyed, Ichigo ran up to him with the bag still in hand before hopping onto the slightly surprised man._

"_I love it! In fact…_

I love _you_ Ryou."

"Well Ichigo, don't you think you should be telling _him_ that and not me?" Ichigo's eyes shot open in alarm before darting around frantically to find the source of that voice. She nearly gave a yelp when she realized that her phone was plastered against her face.

"Mint?!"

"Yes, Ichigo." Mint sighed. "It is I, the one who always seems to be responsible for waking you up."

"Why did you call? I thought you made us stay in separate rooms specifically cuz you don't want us to wake you up when we make breakfast." Ichigo said groggily, leaning against her knees as she was still quite unaware of her surroundings.

"What the heck are you talking about Ichigo?" Her best friend clearly sounded annoyed. "Make breakfast? Why would I have you make breakfast? And what do you mean us?"

"Well you said – " But no sooner had Ichigo begun speaking again when she finally registered where she was. The apparent pink glow of the room should have been obvious enough. "Mint…why am I in my room?"

"Ugh, so it really _was_ that bad, huh?" Ichigo heard Mint sigh on the other line.

"What was? What are you talking about?"

"I should have figured the moment I heard you say 'I love you Ryou.' You would barely admit that you like him as a person. And since when do you call him Ryou anyway?"

"Wait wait wait wait, what?!" Ichigo jumped out of bed, scanning her bedroom for some sign, any sign, of exactly what was going on.

"Ichigo..." an exasperated whine escaped from Mint. "It's a good thing I decided to call to check up on you. We went drinking last night and you were completely wasted."

"ME?!" That wasn't right. Ichigo Momomiya did not drink.

"Yes, Ichigo. I know your whole abstinence thing but seeing how heartbroken you were over Aoyama-kun, it was understandable. And we all said we'd get you home safely so you could drink to your heart's content. We just thought it might be good for you to let it all out finally. We didn't know you'd go that far."

"But…but…" Ichigo groaned, pressing a hand against her temple. "Wh-what about the mall?"

"Oh, don't you remember? You said you weren't feeling up for it. Do you know how hard it was to get you out of the house to go drinking even? But Akasaka-san was somehow able to do it. It really is handy to have an older guy around to buy the alcohol."

"Wait what?! Now this is just ridiculous Mint. Keiichiro doesn't drink, and he wouldn't encourage us to."

"Ugh, Ichigo. I know you must be in denial over what had happened yesterday, considering you did do all those _things_ to Shirogane-san, well, or you really have forgotten because you had too much to drink, but just think about it. Don't you have a pounding headache right now?"

"Yes but – "_ But that's because of you!_

"Exactly. And you can confirm everything with Akasaka-san today when you come to work after school."

"But we were at the mall yesterday! I know we were. You bought me a bunch of stuff. We even had a sleepover…" Ichigo trailed off, voice growing more uncertain by the moment.

"What are you talking about Ichigo? Did the alcohol get to your head that badly?"

"No…It just, it happened! I know it all happened!" The redhead grasped the phone tightly.

"Ichigo…"

"All those things _must_ have happened."

There was silence for only a brief moment, though in Ichigo's opinion, the suffocating silence dragged on forever. Mint remained quiet on the other line as if waiting for her to continue speaking, but for some reason, Ichigo could form no more words.

"What _exactly_ do you think happened?" Her best friend's voice was soft and seemed almost gentle, but there was the slightest hint of irrepressible interest in her tone.

_Everything._ Ichigo opened her mouth to speak, but remained mute.

Sighing, Mint lightly pressed forward. "I've told you what happened Ichigo. If you don't believe me, just check for yourself. Do you have any of the stuff you think we bought yesterday?"

She scanned her room for the bags and groaned in disappointment. There were no signs of anything from her tiring trek the day before. Nothing at all.

Had she imagined everything? Had she really gotten so drunk that she couldn't think straight anymore? Maybe that explained her sudden 'revelation' of her feelings for Ryou.

She shook her head violently, practically scrambling her brain over her thoughts. Even if the everything had been fake, there was one truth in that dream. Her feelings for him. Even if she wanted to, Ichigo couldn't forget the emotions flooding through her body when he had reached in the paper bag and pulled out that chain to wrap it snugly around her dainty neck. The moment the strawberry shaped bell tinkled against her skin as his deft hands left the chain and surrounded her body was no short of being one of the happiest moments of her life. And then, the soft breath teasing her cheeks as he spoke to her with care and love…

Ichigo's eyes widened. "The necklace!"

"Necklace?" Mint's voice sounded oddly surprised.

"He bought it for me yesterday. I just have to find it…" She frantically scrambled across her bedroom, looking high and low for the chain.

"Isn't it a bit quick for Shirogane-san to be buying you jewelry?"

So distracted with her own thoughts, she had not even heard Mint speak.

"_You've finally said it, Strawberry."_ _He was beaming. His cerulean eyes seemed to twinkle with his smile, leaving the girl breathless. "I love you too Ichigo."_

"_I'll never take this off, ever Ryou!" She chirped, hopping up to give him a hug around the neck._

"_Baka." He spoke, half mocking. "You need to shower don't you?"_

_She stuck her tongue out at him. "You're the baka, baka! I'll keep it on then too!"_

"_Well, it might not exactly be waterproof you know. It might rust or something." He mused jokingly. _

"_You jerk. What kind of cheap imitation gold is this?" She flashed him a smile, barely able to speak the words without letting the smile split apart her face. "Not that I care. I'd be happy with a simple red ribbon if it came from you."_

"Hm?" Ichigo muttered, still quite in a daze.

"I said, stop being ridiculous! You can't find it because it doesn't exist."

"It does!" She growled menacingly. "It had to have happened. It felt way too real to have been a dream."

"That's how all dreams are!" Mint groaned, entirely annoyed. "I don't want to seem mean, but you're clearly in denial about all the things that happened yesterday. And if you actually do believe the things you're saying, you _must_ have dreamed it all."

Ichigo's lips trembled slightly. "D-Don't you w-want me to be happy?"

"Of course I do Ichigo! But what does this have to do with you being happy?"

_Everything._ She bit down on her lower lip, fighting off a sob. "WHY are you so against me being with Ryou?!"

"What?" Mint yelped. "With Shirogane?! Since when did you want to be with Shirogane-san?!"

Ichigo groaned, slumping down against the floor. _Mint really has no idea._ And this realization only confirmed exactly what Mint had been telling her all along, that none of those things had actually happened.

"Ichigo, are you there? Did I hear correctly when you said you wanted to be with Shirogane-san?"

"Ughh." The redhead groaned, knocking her forehead against her knees.

"I had no idea Ichigo, I'm so sorry. I want you to be happy, I really do. I just don't want you to be delusional to do it."

"UGH." Ichigo groaned yet again. Was it really so delusional to believe that Ryou could love her?

"Look I didn't mean it like that. It came out the wrong way."

"There's no wrong way for things to come out of _your_ mouth Mint. You just say what you think." Ichigo muttered inaudibly.

"I just meant…" Mint paused, trying to find the right words. "It's not like you don't have a chance with him."

"I never said I didn't!"

"You just need a little help and I'll gladly help you Ichigo. But you'll have to let me know exactly what you dreamed about."

"Eh? Why?"

"To help you of course! I need to know what in that dream made you suddenly realize you love him and exactly what it is about him that you like. Maybe you don't actually love him but think you do because you like something _about_ him."

"That's stupid Mint. You think I'd think I loved someone if I didn't?"

"Aoyama-kun."

"…I _did _love him."

"_Sure_. Anyway, I'm not here to debate about that. Just let me know what happened in that dream of yours. You've got me curious about it."

Ichigo delved into her bed, sinking her head into the pillow as she let out a scream. That was the last thing she wanted to talk about if it had only been a dream. Disappointment would only shatter her heart again if she let herself, even for a second, indulge in those thoughts.

Everything that had happened, all those moments when she felt so indescribably happy, even those heart-wrenching moments that only made the happy ones even better, they were all a figment of her imagination -probably a result of her over active, intoxicated mind. How could anything that ridiculous have happened anyhow?

She heaved a deep sigh, expression falling with the heavy exhale. Her auburn hair was sprawled limply across her pillow, face still hidden as she eased away the stinging pain in her eyes.

"I…I'll see you at work Mint."

"Ichigo, are you okay? What's wro-" Without listening to another word, Ichigo hung up. It had taken so much effort to get the simple words out. She wouldn't be able to last a second longer if she had to speak to Mint again after discovering what had really happened.

_I love you Ryou_. She confirmed the words she had spoken so carelessly in her dream. "I-I love Ryou."

Her chest tightened with pain. Ichigo clasped a hand over it, trying to quell the deep sinking feeling. Something was caught in her throat, and she forced it down.

She loved Ryou. She had always loved Ryou.

All it had taken was a night of drunken revelry and an alcohol induced dream to realize it. All it would take was a few thousand more of those drunken nights to forget.

_And it all starts from today._ The girl winced, still hiding in her bed. _It'll be a long day. _

But she had no idea exactly how long.

* * *

I probably seem _so_ evil at this moment...

But no worries, this is ultimately a IXR fanfic! And it is sadly coming to an end soon! (I've been saying that for awhile, haven't I?)


	29. Too Good to be True

Yes I'm good! Another update!

I don't know when the next update will come. Unfortunately, October is the month of tests, tests, tests! Most likely, I'll be updating again in November. Hope this will be enough for the time being!

This chapter is much longer! Woohoo! It was actually a little hard to get back into writing...

**Read and review please!**

I made a few changes in the chapter to clarify things. It occurred to me that it was a little confusing. I had planned to explain more in the next chapter, but seeing how that might not come for awhile, I figured it'd be best to make things a bit easier to follow. I explained the changes in more detail at the end of the chappy so it wouldn't ruin the story for anyone who hasn't read this yet.

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 29****: Too Good To Be True**

The café was bustling with customers, much to the dismay of the mews. It was Monday, but the constant buzz of lively conversation and the clank of forks against plates resembled the sounds that filled the café on a Friday afternoon.

Lettuce sighed as she leaned against the doorway with a tray in one hand. With barely even a minute of rest, she had no time to talk to Ichigo much less whine about her own problems. She did however, spare the few seconds to take another glance at the concerning image of the girl.

It wasn't that anything was physically wrong with the redhead as far as Lettuce could see. She wasn't breaking plates or sighing about nothing, nor was she slacking off from work like Mint was. Ichigo was in fact, very efficient and did everything without complaint which in itself was very concerning.

_Ichigo got to work on time today. _Lettuce shuddered slightly. She just knew something was wrong.

"Lettuce, Lettuce! Bring this to table 7 please." Keiichiro said a bit urgently as he waved a hand in front of her.

Lettuce reached over to the plate with her eyes still focused on the redhead who seemed strangely calm and unusually dull.

"Don't worry about Ichigo." Keiichiro said, offering a smile. "If it's truly bothering you that much, you can tell her about everything after work. I know the guilt must feel overwhelming, as it does for me and probably for the most of us, but we really are too packed to deal with this at the moment."

"Thank you, Akasaka-san." Lettuce replied with a weak grin. With a plate in hand, she walked off mumbling briefly: "I can't believe she convinced us all to do this."

Meanwhile, Ichigo was standing over a table taking new orders. After giving the customers a slight nod, she scribbled onto her notepad and made her way to the kitchen. The sight of Mint sitting so smugly at a table near the back annoyed her to no end, but she just did not have the energy to complain about it. Rather, she swung open the kitchen door with a sigh.

Without a word, she tore the paper from her pad and placed in onto the counter with a slap.

"Table 15." Keiichiro said, not even giving her a glance as he made the final touches on the dish.

Ichigo nodded slightly, reaching over and was ready to dash out of the kitchen if not for the sudden weight of Keichiro's hand against her wrist.

"I'm sorry, you must be feeling terrible right now." He said, his eyes still not meeting hers.

"What are you talking about, Kei?" Ichigo strained a smile. "I'm just great. I'm on a roll today – never been a better worker."

Finally, he released her hand. "That's the problem." He said as she began walking off. "I know you better than that Ichigo."

And if he knew her, then she was purposely working harder than usual to distract herself.

--

A few hours later, the café was just as busy. Lettuce was close to pulling out her hair, Zakuro's scowl progressively got worse, and Pudding's tricks failed more and more often towards the end of the day. Ichigo and Mint were the only ones who still kept it together and that was only because Mint had not lifted a single finger to do work.

Mint watched with a smirk, slightly impressed by Ichigo though she would never admit it. The redhead was zooming past tables, having put on a pair of skates sometime during the day. She weaved through them, settling the plates in front of the customers while taking new orders on her way back.

And not once did she make a sarcastic remark or show any signs of opposition when Mint asked for some tea.

Which made Mint both enjoy and feel a bit uneasy over the new Ichigo. And of course, there was always that other problem of just getting plain _bored_ when everything was too easy.

But luckily for her, things were just about to get a little more interesting.

"Yo baka! Overtime tonight!" Ryou growled from the corner of the room. When he had gotten there, Mint had no idea. But she was certain that he had probably been watching the girl the entire time.

"No."

"No?" He raised an eyebrow at her, but she didn't flinch. "Must I remind you who's responsible for paying you?"

She stood silently, stubbornly crossing her arms as she refused to move even though they were beginning to cause a scene.

"I don't pay you to stand around doing nothing."

"But Shirogane-san, Ichigo has been working very hard today. We could all see it…" Lettuce interjected timidly. Normally, she may have left things to themselves, but the guilt was gnawing at her and the greenheaded Mew saw this as an opportunity to redeem herself.

"Quiet Lettuce, before I dock your pay too." Taken aback by his harsh words, she was immediately silenced.

"Don't be more of a jerk than you are." Ichigo snapped, finally losing her cool after hours of composure. "It's bad enough you have to pick on me, but don't take Lettuce down just because she wants to help me."

Lettuce's eyes widened, shimmering with a slick layer of tears. "Ichigo…"

"And may I remind _you_, Mr. Shirogane, that you don't pay me to fight aliens either?!"

The background sounds of the café immediately silenced as people watched on with confusion, and some with shock, over her words.

"That's the end of the skit today folks." Zakuro appeared out of nowhere, resting a hand on both Ichigo and Ryou. She quickly led them to the kitchen, hoping that they could contain themselves before then.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Ryou glared at the redhead. She held his glare. "Are you purposely being idiotic out there or does it come naturally?"

Her eyes narrowed at him and something in her finally snapped. "You know, I really thought you were different. I actually thought you were a nice guy under that mean, sarcastic attitude but all you do is pick on me when I don't do anything wrong! What is it about me that ticks you off? Because it's become obvious to me that there must be something specifically about _me_ that you hate. So what is it? Tell me!"

Surprised at her sudden outburst, he stared at her at a loss for words. Seeing that she would get no response from him, Ichigo turned on her heel and stormed away.

"That _was_ going a little far. She really hadn't done anything and Ichigo only got so edgy when you started attacking Lettuce."

Grumbling, Ryou rubbed his head. "What's so wrong about ordering my workers to _work_?"

Zakuro visibly sighed, patting a hand to his back. "Just because you're agitated about something doesn't mean you should take it out on other people."

"Ugh. I'm docking your pay, Strawberry!" He called after the retreating girl.

"What did I just say?" Zakuro rolled her eyes at him. "I apologize in advance Shirogane-san. It must have really shaken you up and I'm sorry to have been the one to tell you."

He groaned. "No it has nothing to do with that Zakuro. Like you said, it was one crazy night. "

"More than you could know." She whispered, grinning.

--

Mint watched as Ichigo returned from the kitchen, absolutely fuming. She gingerly lifted the teacup to her lips, gracing the redhead with a brief glance before placing it back down onto its plate.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" She asked calmly.

"No time to talk Mint, gotta work." Ichigo huffed with a plate in one hand. "You should try it."

The Lorikeet simply smirked. "Why bother Ichigo? Why work when he thinks you don't anyway? And didn't he just dock your pay?"

Ignoring the girl, Ichigo made her way to the customer, placing the plate of lemon meringue pie on the table. It just wasn't all that simple. It wasn't that she loved work or that she really was doing it for the money. At this moment, she just needed a good distraction.

"Ahh, I bet Shirogane's just angry about yesterday." Mint taunted as Ichigo passed by, understanding that he was the only thing that made Ichigo even a little less dull for those few minutes than she was all day.

Ichigo froze in place, her enraged expression suddenly failing.

"And…what _exactly_ happened yesterday?" She questioned, a little afraid of the answer. _Did I do something yesterday? _

She had always known Ryou wasn't the type to get angry over nothing, but it seemed like that because he kept everything to himself. If she had done something that offended him then maybe he wasn't being mean just to be a jerk…

But in all honesty, she could not remember a thing no matter how she racked her brain. The very reason why she avoided drinking was because she had always been afraid of not knowing what she'd do and now she had done something she couldn't even recall.

"I'd tell you, but then you'd have to tell me about that dream of yours down to the exact detail."

Ichigo looked at Mint suspiciously, before giving a resigned sigh. "Oh alright, but you start." She wrung her hands nervously together, knowing that Mint would judge her for all the things she had imagined doing with and to Ryou.

"Okay." Mint grinned widely, her eyes gleaming with interest. She leaned forward anxiously as if about to share a secret. Ichigo had only seen her _this_ excited when she first met Zakuro. "I guess I'll start with-"

"Strawberry!" The annoyed voice came from a certain blond at the base of the stairs. "We need to talk. NOW."

"DAMN IT Shirogane, will you just LEAVE ICHIGO ALONE for a minute?" Mint screeched unexpectedly, expression immediately turning sour.

Both Ryou and Ichigo stared at Mint slightly dazed. Seeing the two watch her, she cleared her throat and smoothed out her skirt as if the sudden eruption had not happened.

"You…care Mint." Ichigo began, very much moved by the fact that she had defended her. "You really really care about me."

Mint took no noticed of the redhead, directing her words at the blond. "Shirogane you have horrible timing. You can annoy her all you want in about 20 minutes from now."

"So much for caring." Ichigo's eyes sharpened into a glare at Mint and tried to avoid looking at Ryou.

"Whatever." The blond responded, very much agitated at the fact that he had been completely ignored by the redhead. Grumbling, he turned back around to head to his room.

Zakuro watched in dismay at his failed attempt to apologize, then turned her gaze to Mint who was positively beaming at the moment as if she had won the lottery. Although if she had, she probably wouldn't seem as excited as she was now.

She approached the two, barely catching their attention since they were so involved in their conversation. A grim expression adorned Zakuro's exquisite model-like face and it was directed at Mint.

"Mint, I think Shirogane needs to talk to Ichigo."

"So I can talk to him later." Ichigo said sweeping her hand to dismiss the idea. Part of her was still angry, another part of her wanted no more than to storm up there and clarify everything. But she was nervous and even a little scared for the same reason that had gotten her so mad earlier: Ichigo didn't need another reminder that none of the events from yesterday had happened and that was exactly what Ryou did when he screamed at her.

Going up there would mean facing reality. It'd only confirm that he didn't care about her at all.

Ichigo attempted to smile, her arms tense at her sides. No, she was going to stay. _At the very least, Mint's story is really entertaining._ "Besides, it's just getting good. Mint's telling me what happened yesterday. She's only gotten to the part where Ryou was so drunk, he went around asking everyone if he was pretty, but we haven't gotten to what actually happened that's making him look so constipated all day."

"You could always ask him that yourself, Ichigo." Zakuro shook her head at Mint who cowered slightly under her expression.

"But it's so much more fun this way!" Ichigo said defiantly.

"Well that's cuz Mint didn't get up to the part where you started stripping. And that lap dance you gave Shirogane was hilarious with the way he kept trying to push you off, saying how he was too pretty for you."

"I what?!" Her eyes widened in horror.

Zakuro sighed, as if proving a point. "Don't believe everything you hear Ichigo."

Ichigo pouted. "On the rare occasion that you joke, it sucks."

"At least she's smiling again, Zakuro," Mint offered.

"It's important Mint. Please Ichigo, just go talk to Shirogane. He wanted to apologize, you know." She brought a hand to Ichigo's shoulder. "It's obvious that something else is bothering you, so stop these ridiculous games and just talk it out, okay?"

"Onee-sama…" Mint whined, grasping Zakuro's sleeves with two hands. She looked down at the Lorikeet disapprovingly.

"It would have been better if none of us got involved at all. How far do you want to go before you're satisfied?" Zakuro said the words nonchalantly, but her eyes were icy. Without a backwards glance, she purposefully walked away from the pair, leaving Mint with a sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach.

Ichigo blinked a few times, eyes darting between the two as she attempted to figure out exactly what Zakuro was talking about.

"Ugh, just go." Mint said, defeated.

"But you haven't told me what I did to Ryou that got him so annoyed. Didn't you say you'd help me?" Ichigo whined.

Mint raised an eyebrow at the girl. "You're really something Ichigo. No wonder why he's having such a hard time. First you say you want to be with him, but then you explode on him and when it just seems like you hate him, you like him again?"

"Just because I like him doesn't mean I can't get angry at him!"

"Okay, okay. Just go." Mint sighed. "And to think I was so close too. If it wasn't for Zakuro…"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo questioned the girl who now held her head in her hand which she kept propped up against the table.

"Nothing much." She mumbled, disappointment clearly in her voice. "Shouldn't you get going?"

"Fine…" Ichigo grudgingly headed towards the stairs, hesitance apparent in every step. From behind her, the words Mint spoke nearly made her trip over herself.

"By the way, everything Zakuro said was true." Mint called after her. "And whatever you do Ichigo…"

The redhead already began speeding up the steps, uncertain whether or not she wanted to hear the rest of it.

"…don't mention the time when you guys were locked in that room together. The rest of us tried opening the door when we heard funny noises, but it just wouldn't budge." Mint grinned madly, unable to contain her amusement though Ichigo was already too far away to see her expression.

Now she knew she didn't want to hear the rest of it. Ichigo clutched one hand over her stomach as she struggled the rest of the way up. Sure, doing all those things with Ryou in her dreams was embarrassing, but at least they had both been conscious about what they were doing then.

What other insanity had she let escape when she was drunk?

Ichigo reached out for the doorknob shakily. It was time to find out.

"Ry- " She slapped a hand over her mouth, then corrected herself. "Shirogane?"

The door swung open easily, before she even twisted the knob. It had been left ajar as if her visit had been expected. The redhead cautiously peeked in and gave another call, this time more softly. "Shirogane-san?"

When she received no response, she took a careful step inside. Ryou's room was neat as usual, almost too neat. It was hard to believe he was even in his room much, considering its bleakness. A bed was situated at the right corner of the room, followed by a single drawer some ways from the foot of the bed. Along the other wall was a bookshelf full of technical books – the sort of dull thing only a genius would understand, probably. Her eyes glanced through the length of the room before a voice startled her and brought her attention to the table.

"What do you want?" Ryou spat the words, not even turning around to face Ichigo as he remained seated in front of his empty table, clearly _not_ preoccupied with something so much that he could not even spare her a glance.

"Me? What do _I _want? Here I was being nice enough to come up so that _you'd_ have a chance to apologize properly." Ichigo said, enraged. "What the heck is your problem anyway?"

"My problem? If I recall properly, you're the one who charged into _my_ room _without_ my permission. You didn't even have anything prepared to say." Ryou still remained seated, looking out of the window above his desk as he controlled the tremble in his voice.

"You left the door open! So don't even try to turn this around on me and make it my fault." Ichigo huffed, hand clasping the doorknob even though she had stepped inside. "And jerk, FACE ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

Irritated, the blond shoved the chair away from him and stood up to face the glaring girl. But as soon as he did so, her eyes widened in surprise before letting them wander up and down his body.

"What the hell do you want from me Ichigo?" He growled, just breaking her from her trance. Her mouth bobbed open to speak, but nothing came out.

"Tell me!" Ryou barked, unable to keep his voice level.

The echo of his voice made her jump, causing her cat features to pop out.

"G-God, will y-you put on a shirt already?" She screamed, finally pulling her gaze away from his bare chest. "And put some darn pants on." Her defiant voice trailed off uncertainly.

"I'll do what I like in _my_ room. GET OUT!" His piercing gaze was unflinching. He wasn't in the mood for games.

She gulped, easing away the knot in her throat. "Why are you so mean to me?"

"Excuse me?"

Releasing the doorknob, she spoke with a grim sigh. "You're perfectly nice to everyone, polite to strangers, charming even. But when it comes to me, you have to act like such a jerk."

She closed the door behind her, leaning against it for support and she took another gulp.

"Didn't I tell you to get out?"

"See what I mean?" Ichigo said sadly, dropping her head as she stared at the floor. "It's like you hate me or something…"

For the first time, Ryou's stern glare softened slightly. He seemed a little surprised.

"…I don't hate you." His whisper was low but Ichigo's cat ears heard the regret in his voice.

"Then why?" She asked meekly, voice unsteady and eyes trembling.

After catching a glimpse of Ichigo's expression, Ryou immediately turned away. "Stop looking at me like that."

She gave a long resigned sigh. "I guess there's nothing more to say." Clenching her hand into a fist, she spun around, feeling the sudden need to bolt from the room so that the heavy wails that raked her chest could finally be released. But her legs were weighed down by lead, refusing to grant her the gift of movement.

"Ichigo…"

Her head perked up, legs suddenly feeling much lighter as she swelled up with new hope. Never before was she happier to hear him call her Ichigo. Just maybe it was going to be okay…

"Why?" He began, voice more hesitant than she had ever heard it before. "Why did it have to be Keiichiro?"

"What?" Her eyebrows were drawn together in confusion as she watched the blond.

A few seconds of silence filled the room, but dragged on like eternity. She watched his expression fall just as his usual mask began to shatter.

"Why couldn't …" She waited for him to finish, feeling as though she was suffocating. Where was that breath of air that made her know that everything was going to be okay?

"Why couldn't it have been…me?" Ryou's hand gripped the top of his chair and he pulled himself back towards the direction of the window. Before he turned around though, Ichigo caught sight of his pain filled eyes.

"What are you talking about?" She took a step towards him, reaching out a hand to his back. It seemed so lonely, that figure staring out the window.

And just as soon as that moment had come, it had passed. Ryou turned around, eyes once again icy cold as he directed an unrelenting glare at Ichigo. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about."

His eyes scanned her over before finally giving way to a look of disgust.

That look was unbearable.

"R-Ryou…" She shakily reached for him – a soft pat on his shoulder, the briefest contact against his arm – anything – to steady herself from the shaking that threatened overcome her body.

Harshly, he swept it again before turning away from her again. "The marks on your neck from last night are still there. I take it you enjoyed yourself with Keiichiro very much."

"…Wasn't it with you? Didn't I do things to you? I thought that's why you were angry! But you're angry cuz it was with Keiichiro?" She was utterly and completely confused. If that was the case, why on Earth would he push her away if she was giving him a lap dance? It was obvious he wasn't interested.

"God you're a mess." He muttered under his breath, tone brimming with disgust. "You can't even remember which guy it was."

"What…what happened last night?" Ichigo demanded to know, her voice quivering as she watched Ryou walk past her and head to his drawer.

He reached in without another word, completely ignoring her. When he had gathered his clothes, he brushed past Ichigo as if she wasn't there, heading straight to the bathroom.

"What the hell happened last night, Ryou?!" She screamed, now falling to the floor. "I don't know. I really don't know what happened! Just tell me what I did!" Sobs shook her body in ceaseless waves. She blinked away the blurriness and let the tears fall to the floor as her fingers attacked the wood. Everything was a confusing blur.

"You were drunk, I get it. But with Keiichiro? How…" He took a deep breath. "How could you not know Ichigo? How are you not able to tell how _I_ feel?! Three damn long years Ichigo and I waited through it all." Groaning, he looked away from Ichigo's eager eyes. "Forget what I said."

He headed the bathroom, hands clenching his clothes too tightly. Finally, he had let it slip. He was grinding his teeth just at the thought of it. Of all the people Keiichiro had to go and make out with, the one he had to steal, it just _had _to be the one girl he had loved – the only girl who had opened his heart since he had lost his parents.

"Ryou…" Her voice pleaded for him to take a look at her, but he refused to. It would be too hard.

"I'm not falling for that again Ichigo. Somehow, you always manage to pull me back in again and I'm the one left hurt. When things happened with Aoyama, I was there to talk to you. When you wanted a date with him, I'd let you have your stupid days off at my expense so that _you_ could be happy. When you were in trouble, I was there _every time_. And every single time, you'd be off running to someone else, but _I'd_ still be here, waiting for you."

Ichigo looked up at him, eyes finally clearing up.

"But I'm done with it. I'm done loving you Ichigo."

And then they became impossibly wide.

Before Ryou could slam the bathroom door shut, Ichigo slipped in after him just barely able to evade the attack. Leaning against it with her arms behind her, she refused to budge.

"What the hell are you doing Ichigo? I've had _enough_. Get out!" He screamed, trying to reach for the doorknob.

Blocking him from it, she kept the door closed with all her might. "Just…listen…will…you?" Her voice was strained as she struggled to keep the door shut. Her muscles strained to fight against Ryou's pull at the knob, but by pushing herself from the base of the toilet opposite from her, she somehow managed.

Sighing in defeat, Ryou grudgingly covered the toilet seat and sat there glaring at the girl who leaned against the door in front of her. "Speak." He seethed, cutting and cold.

But his tone didn't seem to have its effect on Ichigo, rather, a large grin swept her expression. Although her eyes were still slightly puffy and red around the rims from rubbing away the tears that she failed to keep back, they now smiled along with her countenance.

"Well?" He asked, annoyed.

"Yes, um…uh…" Ichigo honestly hadn't gotten that far. She was mostly concerned about getting him to listen, but now that he was, she didn't really know where to begin. "Do…do you really love me?"

"UGH." His head fell against his hands. When it became clear to her that he wouldn't answer, she spoke again.

"…Did I really do those…things?"

He groaned yet again. "You're wasting my time."

Ryou motioned to get up, but Ichigo immediately pushed him back down, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her.

"I mean, do you _know_ that I did those things?" Ichigo continued, slowly catching on to what was happening. "Did you see me? Do you remember?"

He continued to look at her suspiciously.

"I was too drunk to remember what happened." His expression changed only the slightest, still just as unforgiving, yet somehow not quite as stern.

"Exactly!" She fisted her hand in excitement, understanding that her efforts so far had not been totally in vain. "I'm betting someone _told_ you about what happened, but you don't remember at all?" Ichigo stared eagerly into his cerulean orbs which, for some reason today, were darker than she remembered. "Like with me..."

"You were drunk, I was drunk and I'm betting Keiichiro was pretty drunk too. Heck, everyone was probably drunk out of their minds." He quickly dismissed it, refusing to entertain the idea that he wanted so much to believe. No, he'd only be the one left standing alone again in the end. Like always.

"And if they were, who would really remember what happened? And if they aren't, how come we're the only ones who can't remember?"

Ryou sighed, leaning against his knees. "It's reality and I've learned to face it." His eye narrowed slightly at the girl, trying to make her understand his other meaning, but it soon gave way to a strained expression of pleading. "Because obviously my dreams are too good to be true," he whispered half-heartedly.

"What'd you say?" Her ears perked up instantaneously as she took a step forward away from the door. The eagerness of her voice was clear, leaking through every tone of her voice. "What kind of dreams? Did they have anything to do with...us?" Ichigo's voice trailed off into an embarrassed whisper as she suddenly remembered the feel of Ryou's hand brazenly pressing against her flesh.

"..." He stared at her blankly, trying to keep his surprise hidden. "No."

"Oh." She spoke, disappointment dripping from her voice. "Because I did..." She watched him carefully, studying his face to see how he would react. "And it all felt so _real_ Ryou."

Her scrutinizing gaze melted into one of pleading as she waited patiently for his answer through the silence.

Finally he spoke, voice once again harsh though really he was going for nonchalance. "Nice to know. Can you leave me alone now?" His tone had come out unexpectedly cold. He wanted to make it seem like he didn't care, like what she said didn't matter to him, but they did. He cursed himself for letting himself be even the slightest bit affected by her words, once again betraying his previous proclamation of cutting Ichigo out from his heart. They were just so tantalizing, so teasing - her words full of promise were just too good to be true.

"It's the same for you isn't it?" She pressed on. "You have no idea what happened yesterday."

His lips tightened together in a frown and his wrinkled his eyebrows together in displeasure. "It doesn't matter if I remember it or not. It doesn't change the fact that it still happened!"

Surprised from his sudden eruption, Ichigo blinked a few times while looking at the blond curiously. As soon as Ryou realized what he had done, he immediately slipped his disguise back on. Stern, bland and dull-_ unconcerned_. That was the expression he was going for.

He cleared his throat, folding his arms together. "Are you done?"

The redhead bit down on her lip, trying hard prevent herself from slapping any sort of reason into the stubborn man.

"I'm done with you Ichigo." The annoyance in his voice was escalating. It sounded like he couldn't wait for her to leave him alone. "Get out."

"No." The redhead planted her feet more firmly against the ground, ready to ram herself against the bathroom door in case Ryou wanted to open it again and shove her out.

"I said, _get out_."

It stung, but Ichigo's determination wasn't going to be broken so easily.

"You're not fooling anyone with that look." She crossed her arms, looking down at him even though his piercing, cold stare _did _make her feel slightly weak with regret.

"What _exactly_ do you want from me?" Ryou snapped.

"God, you can be such an _idiot!_" Ichigo screeched, nearly letting a vein pop. It was so obvious what _she_ wanted!

The blond jerked up, anger only further fueled by her insensitive words. He opened his mouth to scream at her – to _finally _scream out all that pent up frustration of waiting, of being rejected, of everything he had to endure for her.

But before he could, the redhead aggressively pushed him back down against the toilet, eliciting a slight breath of surprise from him instead. She forced his legs down by pressing his hands against his knees as she leaned over towards the confused blond. Hearing him gulp, she smirked.

Her motion had been so quick, he barely had time to realize what was going on. His eyes followed her movement, straying to where she kept her hands. "Ryou…" She whispered against his ear.

"Ichigo…?" His voice was uncertain, just like it had been that night: that glimmer of hope and then doubt shaking in his voice.

Image after image of those dreamlike memories flooded her mind: Of Ryou pinning her against the couch, of his husky voice reverberating through her body, sending inexplicable chills of pleasure down her spine, of Ryou carrying her away from the feast, of his concerned face when she had hurt herself – all of them were centered around Ryou. Whether it was a sweet moment, a caring one, or an incredibly erotic one, Ryou was the focus of it all.

"Ryou." She cooed seductively, leaning closer towards him. She trailed her lips down his ear, gently stroking his skin. She barely touched him, but the way her hair tickled his cheeks and how her lips taunted his neck caused him to take in an almost frenzied gasp of air.

She smiled, loving what she was doing to him. Slowly, she pulled back, allowing her cheeks to brush along his as she brought her lips in front of his. Hearing a poorly hidden moan escape from his mouth, her eyes watched his lips pressed together in a thin line as his body remained tense. Her body reacted almost instantly to the sounds that filled her ears. The single moan brought a warm tingling sensation through her abdomen, quickly spreading downward.

Ichigo pushed her lips against his and when he still refused to part them, she pushed forward still. Finally exhaling a breath of air, he opened his mouth for her to explore – unable to fight the groans that rumbled from his throat at the feel of her welcoming invasion.

"Ichi..g-g…" He gasped as she slid her hands up from his bare knees. Clad in a loosely tied towel, her hands stroked his skin, dangerously close to him. "_Ohh_.." He moaned the rest of her name, drawing out the syllable in one long breath of pure ecstasy.

But to his relief and disappointment, Ichigo slid her hands over his thighs outwards until she slid them around his waist. She slipped them upwards against his back as she lifted one leg over the side of the toilet to straddle him. An inexplicable warmth below was driving her crazy and without something there close to her, she'd have screamed out in frustration.

"Damnit Ichi" He cursed under his breath as soon as they had parted long enough for him to catch it. Her hands swallowed the sensation of his exposed body as they ran across the arches and curves of his torso. Her mouth continued to work its magic on his neck, feeding hungrily from it.

He could feel her hands moving all over – like she wanted him. They roamed boldly around him, the most aggressive they had ever been as she pulled him closer towards her.

"It was all Mint." She whispered, hands still all over him. Panting as she spoke, she continued. "You have to believe me. C-can't you feel it?" She swallowed, noting how _she_ most definitely felt something. Pushing herself against him further until he was up against the end of the toilet seat, she sat above him and slid along with him as he moved back. The warmth transformed into a raw aching desire, the moment she had unintentionally rubbed herself against him.

He wanted to fight it, to finally give her up completely but it was impossible. His body refused to listen to him. He wanted more and his body was showing it.

"Can't you tell what I'm feeling for you?" She groaned, arching her back into him.

"I-ich-" With the way she planted herself on top of him, grinding into his pelvic area made it just the slightest bit difficult to respond. Or even think properly for that matter.

"Ichigo." He growled breathily. It had taken him all of his effort from allowing most of those moans to escape and it had made his plainly lusty voice hoarse and almost unrecognizable.

"Ah-"A whimper of pleading left Ichigo's lips, breaking the last of Ryou's stubbornness. Cupping her face, he kissed her softly – a simple meeting of lips and allowed her to lead. Responding, she caressed his mouth against her own, pouring all her love for him in the kiss.

He ran his hands down her body, from her face down to her legs. The sounds escaping from her spurred him on further. When he brushed them over her chest, he was certain he felt a shiver accompanying that irresistible moan. He could feel himself swell and harden even more if it was even possible, just at the sound of her soft gasps while his hand ran up her legs and squeezed her inner thigh, teasing her as he slowly drew his hand up. Her half lidded eyes were dark with lust. His gaze fell on her neck already marked and slowly began to recall the sensation of sliding his tongue there.

How could he ever forget that feeling? How could he forget when he had marked her his?

He greedily sucked his mark on her capturing it in his mouth. He nibbled at her and smoothed the warm wetness along her skin.

"R-Ry-Ryou..." She moaned his name almost losing her voice as her eyes rolled back with pleasure.

"C-can't…_you_…tell?" Ichigo said between gasps, clamping her legs around his hip more tightly as she straddled him. The raw aching was becoming unbearable, especially when she could feel him react to her breathy question. The pressure of him made it worse, allowing her to realize exactly what it was that she wanted so badly.

She wanted him to touch her. "I'm all yours."

His eyes glazed over with burning desire. Her soft pleading whimpers was music to his ears. Her lusty seductive tone, dripping of pure need for him was driving him over the edge. He could feel himself almost spiraling out of control. Logical thought was thrown out the window. He pulled her toward him, as much as physically possible.

With his hands at her waist, she couldn't help but rock her body against him, causing him to swell to the point of completely loosening the towel at his hip. It was painfully arousing - painful in the amount of control that it took. He was just barely holding on to his sanity before he'd turn the tables around and rock her senseless. It ached to be even closer to the girl he loved. His blood was pumping hard. This girl would drive him insane.

Pressing down against him one last time, she groaned as she forced herself to get up. Anymore of that, she was sure she would completely lose it and practically beg him to take her completely. Unsteadily, she removed herself from his lap, having a hard time standing up. She tried very hard to fight off the tingling sensations running through her body where his touch lingered and immediately looked away as soon as she saw the lump against the towel.

Even with the towel loosened from the pressure of his arousal, Ryou couldn't care less. He sat there with his eyes focused solely on her. Unperturbed, he made no effort of hiding it and allowed Ichigo to get a good look, letting her know exactly how she drove him wild. "I'd say the same, but I'm sure you can already see it for yourself." His voice was hoarse from all the groaning and his eyes were still dark with lust.

Her gaze fell back upon the disheveled towel to her embarrassment. Her eyes widened instantly before she managed to look away. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride well up in her at the fact that _she_ had done this to Ryou.

"I- I mean it Ryou." She whispered breathlessly, avoiding his gaze though slightly stirred by what she saw.

Just barely awakened from the daze, he smiled at her weakly. Not a seductive smile, though it was hard not to send her one of those, but a genuine smile at her sincere words.

It took Ichigo less than a second to smile back at that rare expression that always warmed her heart.

"I love you Ryou."

He leaned forward, eyes never once leaving Ichigo's. "I know." His voice was thick and smooth, desire still dripping from it.

"Good!" She exclaimed with relief, turning away from him as she began heading out the door.

"And where do you think _you're _going?" He pulled her back against her waist, settling her back on top of him as he sat above the toilet. There was a time for sweetness and he didn't want to ruin the moment. But his obvious physical state wasn't about to disappear any time soon.

"Eep!" She squeaked, bells tinkling wildly at the motion. His low growls completely threw her off. "W-w-we have to get back at Mint of course!" Her voice was frantic, but she wasn't so convinced with her own words anymore.

"Hmm." He muttered against her ears. "I know of plenty of ways to get back at her while _enjoying ourselves, Ichigo._" He softly blew the words at her before taking in her earlobe and sucking it gently.

"_Ohh._" She tried to fight the groan to no avail. The damn aching was coming back, now worse than ever.

"And it'll involve a lot more of those _delicious_ sounds, Strawberry."

* * *

The chapter came out unexpectedly...physical. But I kept it to a limit. Well, it did have its sweet moments.

Okayy, so much for that x.x After revising it, it seemed to have lost the balance between the two, leaning more for the hot scenes. Well, it's okay. They'll have plenty of sweet moments together later on.

I hope the last chapter didn't make anyone stop reading! If I was reading it, I would've gotten really annoyed too, which is why I had to update immediately with this one. I did drop off a subtle hint in the last chapter that it was Mint's doing. That little remark about how Ryou's a bit early buying jewelry already. And isn't it just strange how she keeps asking for the specifics of that dream? ;

Very very sly Mint. I am quite impressed by her plans. But of course I did come up with them, so I'm utterly cool and awesome myself :D ...and probably just as evil as Mint. Don't hate the antagonists! They're there to make the story interesting.

Gosh, I just couldn't stand to leave you guys hanging at the last chapter. It would have killed me if I had to deal with that.

_Changes: As you may or may not have noticed, I added a few sentences. All the changes were in the scene with Ichigo and Ryou towards the end. Amazing how one or two more sentences can make it seem so much hotter. I wasn't even going for that at first, but heck if I decided to make the chapter physical, I might as well add some more spice to it._

_Anyway, the most significant changes are in their conversation when Ichigo is trying to find out what happened._


	30. My Happy Ending

Last chapter:

_"Hmm." He muttered against her ears. "I know of plenty of ways to get back at her while __enjoying ourselves, Ichigo." He softly blew the words at her before taking in her earlobe and sucking it gently._

_"__Ohh." She tried to fight the groan to no avail. The damn aching was coming back, now worse than ever._

_"And it'll involve a lot more of those __delicious sounds, Strawberry."_

* * *

**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 30****: My Happy Ending**

His husky words made her shudder. Her body heated up with desire and something within her stirred at the feel of him pressing so close to her.

"R-ryou." She struggled to get his name out. "Sh-shouldn't we deal with the Mews…" Her words were interrupted with a gasp as she felt the thin texture of the towel just barely keeping her from touching him directly."…first?" It was difficult to form coherent thoughts, much less even express them with words.

"Hn." The blond grunted, his eyes glazed over with lust. He placed his hands at her hips, encouraging her to continue grinding against him.

"W-we have…to…stop." Ichigo croaked between breaths. Finally, she forced his hands off and unsteadily stood up, reaching for the doorknob for support.

"…Ichigo." Ryou was still staring at her through half lidded eyes and now licked the bottom of his lips, enjoying the view of her disheveled hair and flushed cheeks. She immediately spun away, before that look swallowed her whole and ran out the door.

For a moment, Ryou remained seated completely dazed, still recalling the feeling of Ichigo's thigh over his bare legs, so dangerously close to him. But upon realizing that she had suddenly run out in panic, a frustrated groan ripped through his chest.

"Ichigo!" He grumbled and hurried after the girl, just managing to grab her wrist as she slid out into his bedroom. Ichigo turned around, with a grim expression as she stared down at her hands.

"…Ichigo. I-I'm sorry." Ryou sighed, willing his arousal away though failing miserably. "I know I told you before that I'd prove to you I love you. I-" His eyebrows furrowed together as he struggled with his words. "I don't have any ulterior motives."

He looked at the redhead, eyes pleading for forgiveness but her attention was still focused on their hands.

"I'm sorry if that scared you." He said, each word growing more urgent than the last. Cursing to himself silently, he remembered the last time things had almost gone out of control and how awkward it had been afterward. Things were getting too far, too fast and he knew Ichigo must have been terrified.

"I'd never hurt you. I love you Ichigo." The redhead shifted beneath his grasp, still not meeting his gaze. Her lips were pressed together in worry.

Her silence killed him inside. Right after she had let him know that none of those things had been a dream. After she had finally clarified that she really did love him, that the drunken night of revelry had never happened with Keiichiro, that _he_ was the only one who had ever touched her like that, Ryou had to just go ahead and mess it all up.

Three years of anguished waiting and he had finally gotten everything he ever wanted.

He couldn't possibly lose it all in the next minute because of his stupid hormones. His expression dropped more than ever. It no longer donned the emotionless mask he was so used to wearing.

"_That_…won't happen until you're ready Ichigo. So please, just please look at me!"

At his words, Ichigo reluctantly tore her gaze away from their entwined hands and slowly brought them to his face after trailing along the rest of his body. "It's nothing like that Ryou. N-Not at all."

He watched in surprise as her pleading expression transformed the moment she let her darkened eyes wander down the length of his exposed chest. Before Ryou could respond, Ichigo leaned against him, bringing her free hand across his back and up to his hair as she hugged him close. Her fingers weaved through his hair and her eyes met his with such lust that he was sent staggering backwards.

"Ichi..?"

She pushed him back forcefully, with a look that made him shudder with delight.

Pulling her hand away from his, she shoved him against the wall before attacking his lips with her own. Taking the opportunity of his half parted mouth, Ichigo forced her tongue into his warm cavern before he could close it, licking and exploring every inch of him as she hungrily fed from his mouth.

Ryou's eyes went impossibly wide at her bold actions, but no sooner were lost to their own shimmer of desire. His hands slipped around her waist, kneading his fingers against her back as she let out a sharp breath. He struggled to breathe, mind going blank at the feel of Ichigo invading his mouth. Her warm muscle slid inside of him while her lips were still upon his. Finally it seemed as if she would pull back, but he greedily sucked on her tongue and bit down lightly, showing his reluctance for her to go.

The effect was immediate. A stifled groan rumbled from within Ichigo. Teeth, tongue and lips clashed, desperately colliding together as if trying to take in everything within the shortest amount of time possible.

Her hands explored his exposed body, relishing the feel of his lean muscles. They trailed up and down, pressing against his skin as she fought to keep a strangled moan from escaping her lips. Her hands swept along every part of him that they could touch, though carefully avoiding a certain area underneath, running across so quickly over and over again that she seemed almost frantic. As if not getting enough of him. Not getting enough of feeling him.

"Ichigo…" His tone was smooth and thick with desire. His usual bright blue eyes darkened at her appearance. She was heaving – breathless. Her cheeks were rosy and heated. Her lips, slightly swollen.

"Ryou…" she breathed out. Their breaths intermingled as they leaned their foreheads against one another, staring into each others eyes.

Driven over the edge by her slight whimper and the sensual feel of her breath against his lips, he captured her mouth before she had the opportunity to close it again. He turned her around, pinning her against the wall as he hoisted her up.

She wrapped her legs around his body, hand grabbing onto a lock of his hair, desperate to hold on to something before she burst from all these sensations. He grunted as she moaned at the pressure of him pushing her up against the wall. He thrusted forward with his hips, causing a frenzied gasp to leave her mouth.

An aching need exploded from her abdomen, quickly spreading downward. She moaned, whimpered and made a series of incoherent noises, driven insane at the absolutely need for him to touch her.

"More." She said breathlessly, before sucking on his lower lip to pull a groan from him. She wrapped her legs around him more tightly, pulling him against her even more closely.

Her demand was met with a growl. Ryou's hand slipped under her legs, squeezing her naked thigh.

"Ryou" She gasped, causing him to shudder. "I…" She lowered her legs slightly, still wrapped around his body before sliding them back up over him. Abruptly, she pulled him in at the hips, knocking him into her.

He could feel himself right against her core, separated by only that thin and somewhat damp cloth. It stirred him on, causing him to give another thrust.

Ichigo's breath was knocked out of her. "R-Ryou…p-please."

Her soft whimpers drove him wild. He felt himself harden and a strangled groan tore from his lips as his hands slowly moved up her skirt. His fingers traced the edges of her panties. His hand clamped tightly around her thighs, eliciting another gasp from her.

Her throat felt dry and coarse from moaning, but she managed to utter one more word. "N-Now."

He felt the pressure against the towel threatening to rip it, until a moment later, it slackened and fell to the ground.

"Ichigo." Ryou growled, huskier than ever before. He stared down at her pleading expression through half lidded eyes, before allowing one hand to slip beneath her shirt.

She gave a stifled gasp as his hands pressed against her, fingers just tracing the bottom edge of her bra. Her desire flared and the ache between her legs was made worse by his teasing thrusts.

"I…want…" She moaned at another thrust, feeling herself get damper.

"I…chi…go." Ryou's expression was half crazed with lust.

"...you. I want it…to be you." She barely got the words out, before giving a frustrated growl. Her lips attacked his neck and they traveled upwards until her mouth reached his ear. She sucked it in, nibbled and licked.

He let out a shuddering groan. His hands slipped beneath her legs on both sides, sliding closer and closer towards her. Pushing her against the wall again, he slipped his fingers just beneath the rim of her underwear.

"M-More."

Ryou pulled back, only to let a hand rest against her, right at her entrance only separated by that single piece of cloth. She whimpered, grabbing at his hair more tightly. "R-ryou."

It was music to his ears, the way she was saying his name so breathlessly. An animalistic growl reverberated through his throat as he pushed his hand against her, kneading and pressing his palm against her growing dampness.

"Ahh…" Ichigo stifled her cries, struggling with it as she bit her lip. The pressure only made it worse. What she wanted more than anything now was his hands on her, in her, all over her.

His own desires were barely containable as he watched Ichigo's eyes roll back. If he wasn't naked already, he'd be taking of his boxers at this mo-

There was a knock at the door and then the concerned voice of Keiichiro. "Ryou? Have you seen Ichigo? Lettuce wanted to talk to her."

Ryou's eyes widened in horror as he suddenly caught a glimpse of Ichigo. Her clothes were in disarray as she panted with her reddened cheeks and lustful stare. He immediately pulled away, letting her slide against the wall until her feet once again touched the ground.

"Oh god, I-I'm so sorry Ichigo." His voice was deep, with traces of desire still leaking from it, but his eyes were sincere. He took an abrupt step back, looking completely shocked. Just far enough for Ichigo to see him.

Her eyes seemed to be taking in the sight, slowly trailing down his body until they widened so much, they threatened to pop out.

She turned the darkest shade of red he had ever seen her.

Seeing how the redhead was too tongued tied to be able to respond, Ryou spoke up, gaze never leaving the girl. "Y-yeah." His voice was strangely coarse and he cleared his throat before speaking again. "I was just speaking with her. She'll be down in a minute."

"_Just_ speaking with her?" Keiichiro's suspicious tone caused Ichigo to jump, her cat features popping out at the motion.

Ryou's cheeks tinted a dull pink. "You can ask Zakuro about it."

Meanwhile, Ichigo had retreated to his bed, hiding under the covers. The blond smirked at the girl's actions. His Strawberry had chosen the worst place to hide.

"I-I'l b-be down soon." She called out from under the sheets.

With a sigh, Keiichiro spoke before taking his leave. "If you say so Ichi-chan. Just...be careful."

Ryou's darkened blue eyes narrowed. "He still calls you Ichi-chan?" He said in more of a statement than a question.

Ichigo's head just peeped out, catching a glimpse of her infuriated boss. Her cat ears had disappeared, but as soon as her gaze landed on his body, they immediately reappeared and she once again retreated to the safety of the covers.

"J-Jealous?"

Her stutters were audible even if they were a bit muffled. He just couldn't understand why she was cowering away from him. After everything they had done with each other, Ryou thought that she'd be perfectly comfortable with everything afterward. Well, maybe not perfectly, but she didn't have to be so nervous to the extent of refusing to look at him.

"You know I am." He growled in slight annoyance.

A wide grin made its way across her face, even if it was invisible to Ryou. "I like that."

Ryou's grimace relaxed at her words. His expression lit up, lips curving up into a real smile. It wasn't often that he smiled like that, but he found that those smiles were easily lulled from him with Ichigo around.

Ichigo was the reason he smiled, the reason why he was so happy at this moment. The reason for his uncontrollable urges that he never seemed to have for anyone else. She was his everything. His cute little Strawberry was his whole world and he couldn't be happier to find out that everything he had thought was a dream was _actually_ reality.

For once, it wasn't too good to be true.

"Ichigo," He directed his gaze at the bed, his expression overflowing with warmth. "I love you Ichigo."

"I love you too." She responded with her own grin that threatened to split her face.

"So please get out of those covers and look at me. I don't know what I did wrong, but it kills me that you won't look at me."

_Look at him?_ She shivered. Did he really want that? It wasn't that he had anything to be ashamed of, but everything was just so new to her. She could barely prevent herself from completely turning into a cat at the thought. And now he wanted her to _look_ at him?!

"P-p-pants." The single word that Ichigo had barely gotten out of her caused Ryou to scowl his face in confusion, before he finally glanced downward and realized.

"G-got it." He swiftly ran to the bathroom with flushed cheeks, grateful that his clothes were already there so that he would not have to pass by Ichigo to get a new ones.

His lips were set in a grim line as he struggled to pull his pants over himself. When he was done getting dressed, he returned to his bedroom to find Ichigo still sitting on the bed, though no longer cowering at a corner.

She refused to look at him and spoke as calmly as possible. "I know how to get back at Mint."

Having slight trouble walking, Ryou settled for leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. His voice was slightly strained as he spoke, but he hid it well. "How?"

"I'll just 'tell' her what I dreamed about." She sent him a wicked smile, only to quickly turn around. "I-I still wonder how they p-pulled it off."

The way she stuttered was so irresistibly cute. Ryou lowered his gaze, sending her a look that would otherwise cause her to jump on him had she seen it.

"I don't even care anymore." His deep voice was smooth and husky. "You're the only thing that matters. As long as I have you, I don't care how many stupid pranks they pulled on us to get me here."

She looked at him, eyes wide with a grin shining almost as brightly as her glowing red cheeks. "Me too Ryou. I should probably be thanking Mint for making you fall in love with me."

"I think you've got it wrong Strawberry. I've _been_ in love with you, I was just too stubborn to admit it out loud. I should be thanking her for making _you_ fall in love with me."

Ichigo looked away from him, certain that meeting his intense gaze would only make her cheeks redder than they already were. Her lips were set in a wide grin, positively beaming at his words. "Mint's somehow managed to make me the happiest girl in the world."

Ryou scowled. "Mint?"

"You know what I mean!" She pouted. At this point her cat ears twitched in embarrassment. Although it was nice to finally be able to speak so honestly to Ryou, it was still a little embarrassing to admit that her feelings for him ran so deep. The only comfort she had for seeming so heed-over-heels in love with this man was that he seemed to share the same feelings for her.

"Maybe. But I'd still like to hear it."

She stuck out a tongue at him. "Can't you feel how much I love you without me saying it?"

Strolling over, Ryou pinched her nose. He leaned over until his eyes were level with hers and softly whispered, "I don't know about that yet. But I do know that I love hearing you say those three words and I'll never get tired of them." Fixated on Ichigo's swollen lips as he watched her pout, he closed the gap between them, muttering his words quietly as his lips very lightly brushed against hers. "No need to pout. There's plenty of time to prove how much you love me."

She sighed a breath of contentment as she felt Ryou's soft lips slide against hers. He pulled back at the sound to prevent the kiss from intensifying, as his kisses from Ichigo had that nasty habbit of doing.

"Someday, I'll seriously thank that blue headed witch for getting us together." Pulling herself up, she headed a little shakily towards the door, like Ryou's faint kiss had almost sucked the consciousness out of her.

"But…I'd still like to get back at Mint for all that torture she put us through. That last prank was totally unnecessary." Ichigo gave a glance behind her, eyes glinting mischievously at the thought before turning the doorknob and walking out with a slightly crooked grin.

"That's my girl." Ryou watched the cat girl skip outside in excitement, tail lapping vigorously behind her. He loved that look on Ichigo's face with her darkened narrowed eyes so focused on her plotting at hand that she would not even notice the slight upward turn of the side of her lips. It was captivating, beautiful, suggestive.

Whatever Mint had in store for her, it was bound to be good.

But that wasn't the reason why Ryou had the strangest urge to dance around and scream with utter happiness, or to go down to the café and treat every customer there. It certainly did not explain the beaming smile that refused to leave his face even if he tried to wash it off. No, it was all because of Ichigo.

_His_ Ichigo. _His_ Strawberry. The love of his life who finally loved him back despite all his shortcomings.

It was because Ryou Shirogane, the poor orphaned child who had experienced his share of suffering and struggles, finally had his own happy ending.

* * *

My second story is finally complete! Look for the sequel: The Prankster's Revenge (may be subject to change)

Sorry for the late update! This chapter was supposed to be longer and the story wasn't supposed to end for another 2 chapters, but I decided to include it in the sequel. The sequel will explain how Mint managed to pull off the prank and will be about Ichigo and Ryou getting back at her. It'll be about Ichigo and Ryou's relationship after getting together and Masaya's return.

The sequel will probably be much shorter than this story. I'm still deciding on the rating for it. At this moment, I'm thinking that it will be a T, but if more people prefer an M rating, that's what it'll be.

_Thank you all for the support! This has been my most successful story_ _so far. And it is finally, FINALLY over! I can't believe I actually made 30 chapters. You guys have been wonderful and you kept me going! Thanks for spending the time to read this, and to review if you did. It really means a lot to an aspiring writer, especially during a slump. I am thankful for every second of time you spent on this :D_


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